Mulan
by Jewel1001
Summary: A Spiritshipping version of the Disney movie Mulan! A young girl goes to war in an attempt to save her father. Starring Jaden as Mulan, Jesse as Shang, Atticus as Mushu and Syrus as the Lucky Cricket. Warning: Genderbending, light violence.
1. Prologue

Hazeru - New fic! This one's a Disney movie parody.

Hera - I love Mulan!

Hazeru - Me too! Anyway, here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Prologue

Declaration Of War

The night hung over the Great Wall like a monster, casting no shadows due to the lack of light but intimidating the single guard that walked along the rough surface nonetheless. The eerie silence managed to set his senses on alert regardless of the fact that he paced this wall three nights a week, much to his own disgust.

There was a piercing whistle from above and a bird as black as the night itself flew down from the grey clouds to hit the soldier on the hit and knock off his protective helmet. Unharmed but more exposed, the guard watched as the bird soared to sit on the edge of the wall and let out a shrill whistle, almost like it was calling out a signal to somebody.

Hearing a slight movement - a rustle of leaves, a twig snap - prompted the guard of the Great Wall to look down over the wall's edge to the seemingly black ground. From this position, the guard was able to detect more movement for all of a single before large metal hoisting hooks threw themselves vertically towards him.

With a gasp of surprise, the guard flew backwards. The multitude of hooks forced him to fly further back and as they fixed themselves determinedly to the wall's edge, the guard turned and started running.

"We're under attack! Light the signals!" he called to the other guards on duty that night.

He tried to run but failed, because at that moment, vicious fiends from the depths of Hell itself hoisted themselves over the side of the wall and grinned at him. Fearing for his life and the lives of every other poor soul in the country, the guard tried to escape by climbing up a rickety rope ladder. The sound of wood and rope breaking filled his ears as one of the fiends cut through the ladder and the startled guard only just managed to cling to the edge of the stone and pull himself up.

Steadying himself on his feet, he grabbed a torch, a blazing blame, and turned to throw it into the waiting pit to signal the attack. However, just as he was about to throw the flame into the holder, a figure hoisted itself over the small wall.

The guard gasped because he knew who that figure was. The leader of the fiends, no less, and far more feared and dangerous.

The monster before him, clad in black armour lined with gold and a dramatic red cape with a helmet to hide his facial features, walked leisurely towards him. The bird that had perhaps signalled the attack flew to land near to the monster's shoulder, as if specially to be there for him. The guard felt paralyzed but forced himself to get a grip as the monstrous figure faced him from across the holder. Raising his arm up high, the guard through the flaming torch he held into the holder, setting up a massive blazing flame on the small turret of the wall. From different turrets at different points across the wall, more flames went up in similar holders, signalling to the country that the invasion was in process.

The figure before the guard pushed his face guard up and revealed blazing golden eyes and an expressionless face that chilled the guard's bones.

Gulping quickly, the soldier squared his shoulders and held his head up. He tried to meet the terrifying gold eyes of the invader.

"Now all of China knows you're here!"

In response, the gold eyed man in armour broke off a nearby flag from its pole and held the material over the dancing flames so that they would catch light.

He turned to the shocked guard in front of him and allowed an evil smirk to spread over his face.

"Perfect."

The gold and red doors of the royal palace flew open and the general of the army came striding into the throne room. He wasn't very tall but was striking, well built with his own personal blackish purple armour. His teal hair was only a contrast to his bright orange eyes. He was accompanied by two other officers. They marched up to the throne where sat the Emperor Of China. The general and his guards fell to their knees before the emperor and then the general raised his head.

"Your Excellency, the fiends have crossed the northern border."

The emperor, an old man with a large build and a bald head dressed in a pinky-purple coat, raised his eyebrows in surprise. His personal officer, a man with a long blonde ponytail and ruffled pink cuffs in contrast to his blue jacket and purple lipstick, scoffed at the news.

"Impossible!" he contradicted. "Nobody can get through the great wall!"

The emperor held up one hand to silence him.

"Haou is leading them" the general informed the emperor, who narrowed his eyes. "We'll set up defences around your palace immediately."

The emperor rose to his feet.

"No! Send your troops to protect my people!" he ordered, and turned to his own personal helper. "Crowler!"

"Yes, Sir?" the transvestite said with a bow.

"Deliver conscription notices throughout all the towns and cities. Call up reserves, and as many new recruits as possible."

"Forgive me, Your Excellency, but I believe my troops can stop him!" General Jehu said boldly, rising to his feet and holding his head up high, for he took great pride in his troops.

The emperor paused only to smile at his favourite blue haired general before shaking his head sadly. "I won't take any chances, general. Remember, a single grain of rice can tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat."

Hazeru - We shall see Jaden next chapter.

Hera - Eh, Hazeru? Isn't Jaden a girl in this?

Hazeru - Yep. But he has to be a she, it's Mulan!

Hera - R&R, tell us what you think :)


	2. Chapter 1  Matchmaker

Hazeru - And here is the first actual chapter, and we meet Jaden.

Hera - She's going to look a bit strange but she'll look more like the actual Jaden (only a female version) as the fic goes on.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 1

Matchmaker

In a relatively small town with not very much wealth but enough personality for several small villages, sat a pleasant home in the natural style of the country's buildings. Inside the lone building, tucked away in the furthest room at the back of the house, sat a seventeen year old female.

The girl was plain but beautiful at the same time. She was of slender built with a tiny bust, so much so that she was often tempted to pad her chest out just to make it appear like she was bigger in that area, and long legs that many girls her age would have killed for. She had chocolate brown eyes that never failed to seem soft and caring. Her hair was not just one colour - it was deep brown for the most part but with a flare of orange on the top of her head, and her long hair trailed down her back until it nearly reached her waist.

She sat cross-legged on her bed in nothing but her underwear, eating rice single grains at a time with a pair of chopsticks.

"Quiet, and demure. Graceful. Polite" she whispered under her breath, putting a wad of rice in her mouth. As she recited the words she had to learn, she used a fine paintbrush to write the words in black ink on her arm. "Delicate . . ."

Her thoughts and breakfast were interrupted when the family rooster let her know it was time to be up and about, and consequentially, that she was late.

She cried out and jumped off her bed, running through her small farm home and calling for a 'little brother'. She eventually located the small brown fluff ball with wings on the ground, and prodded him to wake him up.

"Come on, smart boy, you gotta help me with my chores today" she said quickly, tying the chicken feed she had to lay out onto a string around the creature's neck and ripping a hole in the bag. She then pointed out the door and the winged creature flew off, desperately dashing through the farm yard, passing by the family horse Sapphire, as it was chased by a multitude of chickens.

Further up the hill, in range of hearing the small creature's cries, sat the young girl's father. He was in a small shrine to the family ancestor's. He lit a small taper and placed it on the golden dish which hung from the ceiling, the one which held the image of a dragon. The man was dressed in yellow, had darker skin than his daughter and black hair nothing like hers, making one wonder if they were even related. His hair stuck out at each side of his head and he lowered his head as he got on his knees, placing his much needed walking stick at his side, for he was not always in great form in his older age, as he had been when he was a young soldier back in 'the day'. He was an old man of sixty nowadays, and was often very glad that he had his daughter's care. He bowed in front of the largest stone and then began to pray to the family ancestors to aid his daughter in her challenge that day.

"Father of our ancestors" he said quietly, in a pleading voice. "Please help Jaden impress the matchmaker today."

The winged creature rushed into the shrine, ran a ring around the father - the once great soldier Hasselberry - and back out again. The chickens rushed in and continued to peck at the feed. Hasselberry remained unfazed.

"Please" he begged. "Please help her!"

As he went to walk out of the shrine, he collided with none other than his daughter, who'd been bringing him his morning tea. She dropped a cup and it smashed but she only produced another from her sleeve.

"Jaden?"

"I brought a spare" she announced in a cheery voice, pouring him tea. "Remember the doctor said three cups of tea in the morning and three at night."

"Jaden, you should already be in town! We're counting on you to…"

"Uphold the family honour" Jaden recited from memory. "Don't worry, father. I won't let you down." She picked up her skirts and ran down the stairs towards the stable. "Wish me luck" she called.

"Hurry!" her father called back, sighing. "I'm going to go pray some more."

In the busy town, the curtain of an old fashioned beauty parlour was thrown open and a small, plump woman with chopsticks in her hair popped her head out to glare at the two older women waiting outside for the product of beautifying.

"Alexis, is your daughter here yet?" the plump woman chastised, and added as an afterthought, "the matchmaker is not a patient man."

Of course, this was the only town where the matchmaker was male instead of female. Typical, just typical.

Alexis grumbled to herself.

"Of all days to be late!" She was going to kill her daughter: it was just like Jaden to be late for something so important. The matchmaker would, of course, be finding a suitable match for a husband. "I should have prayed to the ancestors for luck!"

Alexis' mother, a frail old woman named Blair - who would insist she was still twenty one - popped up behind her daughter. She was waiting with her for her grand-daughter to arrive, and snorted at her daughter's comment.

"How lucky can they be? They're dead!" she said, glaring up at the sky. "Besides, I've got all the luck we'll need!" Saying this, old Blair produced a small cage from the back of her gown in which held a small aqua coloured cricket with worried grey eyes. She brought the cricket up to her face and said to it "Syrus, this is your chance to prove yourself." Yes, she had named her 'lucky cricket' Syrus.

Covering her eyes, Blair held the cricket's cage in one hand and stepped out onto the road. Alexis watched with a horrified "Grandma, _no_!" as her mother walked across the road, carts and people and donkeys colliding with much chaos and screaming. In the end, Blair reached the other side of the street unscratched despite the damage surrounding her. She took her hand away from her eyes, smirked at the cricket and turned around.

"Yup, this cricket's a lucky one!" she proclaimed.

Syrus, the cricket, promptly fainted.

Alexis merely sighed, and then turned her head anxiously as the sound of a horse approaching filled her ears. The elegant white horse halted next to her and Jaden leapt off it, straw in her hair and dirt on her cheeks.

"I'm here" Jaden sang, holding her arms up. She let them fall, defeated, as she looked at her mother's unimpressed face. "What? But Mama, I had to…"

"None of your excuses!" Alexis said, grasping Jaden's arm and leading her in through the curtain. "Now let's get you cleaned up!"

Inside the curtain, Jaden protested against the plump little woman ripping her dress off and throwing her into a tub of cold water.

"It's freezing!" Jaden shivered.

"It would've been warm if you'd been her on time" Alexis muttered.

The plump little woman soaped and rinsed Jaden's hair so forcefully, singing cheerily all the while, and the poor girl could not protest. Her mother grabbed her arm and held a sponge to it, ready to scrub away any remaining dirt, but what she saw was the notes on her daughter's arm. Alexis sighed deeply.

"Jaden, what's this?" she asked her daughter.

"Um, notes" Jaden said nervously. "In-case I forget something?"

"Hmm, hold this" Blair grumbled, passing over the cricket's cage to Alexis. "We'll need more luck than I thought!"

Much singing and dancing, and pain on Jaden's part, followed the bath. Jaden had her long hair thoroughly brushed and styled. She was moved from small building to small building with Alexis, meeting various beauty stylists, and being clothed in a new red dress that was tied so tightly around her waist - to make it smaller than it already was, which was pretty small - that she could hardly breathe. Her face was covered in make-up that made her look literally like a porcelain doll. When the mirror was held up in front of her face, Jaden barely recognised herself. Once this was accomplished, her grandmother insisted that she take the cricket's cage, complete with Syrus the lucky cricket, and tie it to the back of her dress. Jaden obliged and then followed the procession of girls to the matchmaker's doors, praying to the ancestors that she wouldn't make a fool of herself. She did what the others did, having had no practice nor idea what to do beforehand, and joined in with them when a singing chorus of "please bring honour to us all" filled the area. She fell to her knees like the other girls did when the doors flew open.

"Yuki, Jaden" the matchmaker, Adrian, called.

"Present!" Jaden called, rising to her feet enthusiastically.

"Speaking without permission!" the matchmaker growled, marking it down on his checklist, before beckoning Jaden inside.

Jaden face-palmed. "Oops."

The doors slammed behind the two, blocking Jaden's evaluation from the eyes of her mother and grandmother.

"Hmm." The matchmaker poked and prodded at Jaden, looking her all over before shaking his head.

"Too skinny" he remarked airily. "Not good for bearing sons."

As Adrian spoke, Jaden watched the cricket who had skilfully escaped his cage leap onto Adrian's shoulder. She grabbed for the cricket and eventually managed to get ahold of Syrus - at the precise moment the matchmaker turned around, and Jaden had no choice but to pop the cricket in her mouth.

Adrian stated what he wanted recited and Jaden smiled sweetly at him, nodding as she drew her fan and held it in front of her face so that she could spit the cricket out, causing an inaudible wail from Syrus, who flew across the room. Jaden recited what was demanded of her, but Adrian suspected the words - perfectly learned and spoken - had been written on her fan. He grabbed Jaden's wrist and checked the fan, innocent, and then released Jaden.

"This way" he said, leading Jaden over to the opposite side of the room. What he didn't notice was that he'd grabbed Jaden's wrist that had the ink on it and now had an impressive black smudge on his hand. He placed a teapot on the table and held his hand out to Jaden.

"Now, pour the tea!" he instructed the girl. "To please your future in-laws, you must demonstrate a sense of dignity …"

He rubbed his face with his smudged hand, giving himself an impressive black ink beard. Jaden poured the first lot of tea on the table, missing the cup entirely. A blush rose to her face as she quickly moved the teapot over the cup and carefully poured. This time, the matchmaker Adrian reached for the cup and seized it - but not before Jaden had spotted the cricket lounging happily in the warm liquid like it was a bath!

"You must also be poised …" Adrian continued.

"Um, pardon me" Jaden began to interrupt.

"And silent!" Adrian snapped. He sniffed the cricket-filled tea and sighed happily.

Jaden began crawling over the table and grabbed hold of the cup. "Could I just take that back? Just one moment!"

Adrian struggled and refused to let go, and the cup of tea spilled down his chest, causing the cricket to get into his clothes. Jaden gasped.

"Why, you _clumsy_…" Adrian started. Then he began to feel the cricket in his clothes and started jumping around, crying out as it tickled his skin, and he fell back onto the pot of coals and ended up with smoke coming from the seat of his trousers. He jumped around the room screaming, and Jaden looked around desperately to find something she could do to help. She flapped her fan around the smoking area and caused Adrian's jeans to actually catch fire. He screamed louder than before.

Outside, the crashes and screams were heard and the crowd looked at each other worriedly. All except Blair, who looked at Alexis.

"I think it's going well, don't you?" she said happily.

Her question was answered when the doors burst open and a distraught Adrian flew out of them, ink on his face and his rear end literally on fire.

"Put it out! _Put it out_! PUT IT OUT!" he cried.

The crowd, including the matchmaker, fell silent when Jaden suddenly appeared and threw the contents of the teapot over Adrian, effectively putting out the fire. She then handed Adrian his teapot, covered her face and hurried to her mother.

Nobody noticed the offending cricket Syrus leap back into his cage where he was supposed to be, huddling close to Jaden for security.

Adrian ran up to Jaden and threw the teapot to the ground.

"You are a _disgrace_!" he screamed in her face, so loud they barely heard the china teapot smash. "You _may _look like a bride but you will _never _bring your family _honour_!"

With those words, he stomped back inside, leaving the crowd to look at Jaden with great pity, feeling sorry for the girl who couldn't meet anyone's eyes.

Hazeru - Aww, poor Jaden!

Hera - Tell us what you think in your reviews.

Hazeru - And see if you can guess who'll be playing which character as it goes on!


	3. Chapter 2  Reflection

Hazeru - Here's the next chapter.

Hera - Jaden went through a bit last chapter, is it easier for her in this one?

Hazeru - Read and find out :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 2

Reflection

Hasselberry walked out of the doors as he heard the gate to the stable open. He smiled hopefully at his daughter but his smile fell when Jaden used the horse as cover so she wouldn't have to meet her father's eyes. She tied the white horse up, pat him on the nose and then walked out of the stables. She looked into the window where her disappointed parents stood together, sadly holding hands. Jaden sighed as she removed her earrings and started to sing.

_Look at me. I will never pass for a perfect bride. Or a perfect daughter. Can it be, I'm not meant to play this part?_

She quickly released Syrus from his cage and proceeded to walk over the bridge to get away from the house.

_Now I see, that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart._

Glancing in the water she tried to see through her own reflection.

_Who is that girl I see? Staring straight back at me. Why is my reflection someone I don't know? _

She kept walking, up the stairs towards her family's ancestors temple and shrine, unaware that Syrus was using a lily pad and small stick to paddle across the stream to follow her.

_Somehow I can not hide, who I am, though I've tried. When will my reflection show, who I am inside?_

Jaden used her sleeve to wipe away all her make-up and paused in singing to look at her true reflection but she couldn't see herself. She pulled the bands out of her long brown and orange hair and let it comfortably trail down her back.

_When will my reflection show, who I am, inside?_

Jaden sat on a stone bench under the cherry blossom tree in her family's large garden. The beautiful, fresh blooms were enough to cheer anyone but Jaden, who pleated a strand of her hair and tried not to let her delicate tears fall, as they were threatening to. When her father walked up to her, she turned away from him, desperately trying to hide her shame from him. She was no good as a wife! She'd never marry and she'd bring dishonour on the family. She'd failed her father!

Hasselberry simply smiled at her and then looked up at the flowering tree.

"My, my, what beautiful blossoms we have this year!" he said, simply for lack of anything better to say. He then spotted one unopened bloom on a low branch. He pointed it out to his daughter. "But look, this one's late. But I'll bet that when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all." Saying this, his picked a blossom from another branch and slid in behind Jaden's ear. He held it in place with the comb that Jaden had had in her hair for her visit to the matchmaker, which was ruby coloured and looked fetching against her hair. Comforted by her father's words, Jaden couldn't help but smile.

Then, from a little way off, there was a beating drum heard. Hasselberry recognised the call and stood up. Jaden looked up at him innocently. "What is it?"

Everyone rushed into the main square, just in front of the Yuki family household, to see the emperor's personal man - the one whom everyone said was a cross dresser, and boy did he play the part well, he even wore the lipstick - riding up with another two guards on imperial stallions, magnificent horses. Hasselberry and Alexis opened the gate and dashed out. Alexis looked back once and said "Jaden, stay inside."

Jaden pouted and stopped, but nodded when Blair pointed to the roof of the stables and walked off with Alexis. Jaden patted her grandmother's shoulder and climbed onto the stable roof to peer over at the scene before her.

The emperor's man, Crowler, cleared his throat.

"Citizens, I bring a proclamation from the Imperial City! The Fiends have invaded China!" At these words, there was much disturbance, and many woman ushered their children away quietly. Crowler continued unfazed. "By order of the emperor Shepherd, one man from every family must serve in the Imperial Army!"

He pulled out from his pocket a scroll and began to call names.

"The Kyokai family!" he called, and one man stepped up and received his conscription notice from one of the guards.

"The Wilson family!" he shouted, and another man stepped forward.

Crowler consulted the scrolls once more.

"The Yuki family!" he called.

"_No_!" Jaden gasped.

Hazeru - Oh no! One man from the Yuki family has to join the army!

Hera - There's only Hasseberry.

Hazeru - And he's not in good shape. Read on to see what happens.

Hera - And R&R please


	4. Chapter 3  Conscription

Hazeru - Here we go, another chapter.

Hera - Enjoy, everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 3

Conscription

"No!" Jaden gasped.

She watched in horror as Hasselberry handed his faithful walking stick to his wife. Alexis watched him walk steadily - or steadily for him, anyway - towards Crowler. He bowed quickly and then stood straight.

"I am ready to serve the emperor."

"Father, you can't go!" That was when Jaden, who couldn't bear the situation, rushed out and stood in front of her father defensively. She looked up at the guards. "Please, sir, my father has already fought for …"

"Silence!" Crowler bellowed, drawing his horse up in front of Jaden. He glared at Hasselberry. "You will do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man's presence."

Reluctantly, Hasselberry looked away. "Jaden, you dishonour me."

Jaden gasped.

"Report tomorrow at the Southern camp!" Crowler growled, handing Hasselberry a conscription notice.

Hasselberry bowed again. "Yes, sir!"

Crowler began calling out the names of more families.

Jaden watched silently as her father walked as steadily as he was able back towards the house, limping visibly, holding his notice in his hand firmly. He walked past Alexis, who held out his walking stick for him to take. Jaden stood in between her mother and grandmother, both of whom looked dismal, and Jaden could only imagine that she looked the same.

Inside the house, Hasselberry opened the doors of a closet he'd not opened for many years. Inside was an army uniform, armour, shoes and sword. He'd worn this as a young man and had experienced his fair share of war back then. He had the leg injuries to prove it, but it was an honour to fight for his country again.

He drew his sword and began to wave it around in the air, practicing moves and techniques he hadn't used in over twenty years. Unbeknown to him, his daughter peeked around the door to watch her father fighting, an old man in the style of a young man. Hasselberry looked all right until a pain shot up his side, causing him to gasp in pain and drop his sword. Jaden watched in horror as her father fell to his knees. He had to use a slender wooden pillar to help haul himself to his feet. He held the conscription notice determinedly in his hand and reached again for the sword.

Jaden hid herself from view, her heart beating too fast. That wasn't the form of a man who would fight and survive on a battlefield. Her father may have once been a warrior, but he wasn't any longer. She had to stop the tears from leaking out her eyes.

It wasn't too long before it fell dark and was time for supper. The four person family sat with tea and rice, all sipping and eating in silence, each one playing a different scenario in their head. Jaden filled each cup with tea and then looked at her family. She looked at the calm way in which they were acting, when they might very well never see her father again after this night. The thought of losing Hasselberry, her loving father, proved to be too much for the brunette, and Jaden angrily slammed her cup off the table.

"You _shouldn't _have to go!" she said loudly.

"Jaden" Alexis warned.

"There are plenty of young men to fight for China!" Jaden said.

"It is an honour to protect my country and my family" Hasselberry said calmly.

Jaden glared at her father. "So you'll die for honour!"

"I will die doing what's right."

"But…"

"I know my place!" Hasselberry said loudly, rising to his feet so he could stand over his shorter daughter. "It is time you learned yours!"

An expression of hurt came to Jaden's face as she lunged out the door and clung to a pillar, trying not to start crying, but she failed. Soft tears fell from Jaden's eyes as she started to gently sob. She couldn't bear the pain. She knew what was going to happen! She had no doubt! Her father would go to war and he would die and they'd never see each other again! She couldn't ever remember not having her dear father there with her. If he died, what would she do? How would her mother cope without her father? Her grandmother?

Jaden lifted her eyes to the sky and tried to see through the blur of her tears. She had to stop him. But how?

Hazeru - Hasselberry isn't going to survive in a war.

Hera - And Jaden will find a way to stop him from going.

Hazeru - How's she going to do that?

Hera - ...You're the author.

Hazeru - So only I know! Along with those who have seen the movie Mulan! xD

Hera - But not with these characters! R&R please


	5. Chapter 4  Going To War

Hazeru - Another chapter!

Hera - Now we find out what Jaden does to save her father.

Hazeru - Who is Hasselberry, but whatever, just go with it :)

Hera - Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 4

Going To War

The rain pelted down and hit the puddles around the base of the statue. Stupid, stupid statue: some old family guardian whose name wasn't carved into it anywhere. It was, she knew, the Rainbow Dragon, the same which had supposedly saved her great grandfather's life under guidance from even older ancestors. Jaden did believe in her ancestors, of course, and she would pray to them and hope that they watched over her, but what could the dead really do? What could guardians do? After all, this Rainbow Dragon statue was merely that: a statue.

Still, Jaden felt some small comfort as she sat curled up in the side of the statue, her head rested on her knees because she honestly felt too weak to hold her head up. Weak from crying? She doubted it. No, it more like feeling weak because she couldn't do anything to save her father's life.

She saw through the window of her home that her parents were retiring for the night. They would go to bed that night a couple, and pretty soon, her darling mother would be going to bed at night a widow. Jaden's heart contracted at the thought of not having her father there with her.

There was no way of stopping him. He had to go, because one man from the family had to.

Jaden's heart stopped. One man from the family.

No, impossible. He was the only man in the family. She was a girl.

But, maybe, just maybe . . .

No, that was ridiculous, impossible. And yet, if it worked, her father would be safe.

He'd kept her safe all her life, now it was time to reciprocate. Her delicate brows came closer together as she made up her mind.

Jaden walked into her ancestor's temple, dripping rain water all over the floor. She calmly lit a taper and placed it on the small dish that held the tiny dragon. She bowed slightly to the ancestors and said a silent prayer before rushing off back towards the house to set her plan in motion.

Jaden passed by the dragon patterned door curtain and into her parents' bedroom. They slept soundly on the bed, their fingers linked. Jaden hurried to her father's small bedside table, and lifted his conscription notice. In its place, she set down her special hair comb that she'd worn to see Adrian. This would leave the message for her parents. Jaden dared to steal one last glance at her sleeping mother and father, smiling fondly at them, before walking swiftly out of the room.

She walked down the hallway into her father's study room, as Hasselberry called it, and took his sword. She kept her face blank as she unsheathed the sword and then ran her hand down her own back, savouring the silky feel of her long hair. She then knotted that hair in her hand and screwed up her eyes as she drew the sword across the strands, cutting them very short at the back, with longer strands framing her face. She stood up and put the sword back in its sheath. This looked fine.

She opened the closet and took out her father's armour. Jaden undressed down to her underwear and mentally thanked her own good sense that she always wore shorts and a vest rather than a petticoat. She dressed in her father's uniform, which was a plain brown colour, and then put the black armour with green trim over the top. She looked, she thought, just like a man. Perfect.

Jaden rushed outside; she didn't want to be caught now. She refused to be caught now. Little did she know that somebody was watching her every move. She needn't have worried, though: Syrus wouldn't be able to tell anybody, though he did follow the young girl around the place worriedly.

She used her sword - just because it was all good practice, for she'd never even held a sword before - to slash open the gates to the stables. Sapphire, the beautiful white stallion, reacted predictably and panicked. How could he recognise Jaden when her long hair was cut short like a mans and she was dressed as a solider rather than a girl? Jaden held her arms up and spoke to the animal and, recognising that the intruder was actually Jaden, the horse calmed down.

Jaden led the horse out the stables and towards the front gates, her face full of sadness as she looked back longingly and lovingly at her home, praying that she would see that dear little house again, and those within it.

'I'm sorry, but this is the only way. I can't let you die, father, I can't let you run off to get yourself killed.' Jaden looked at the horse, who was her new companion. 'I'm doing this for you, father. Take care of mama for me.'

And with that thought, Jaden climbed onto Sapphire's back and let him walk towards the still closed but not locked gates. She took at deep breath.

"Yah!" she said, digging her heels into his sides, and the two sped off into the rain.

Inside the house, Blair rose up quickly as if a nightmare had startled her badly. She gasped and, for reasons she didn't know, she felt like she had to see her granddaughter. She didn't know why, but she just had to let her eyes fall on Jaden's gorgeous brown eyes and her pretty face. Blair pushed her tired body out of bed and went to see Jaden. She looked into the brunette's room, and then ran down the hall to see if Jaden was still awake. Instead she saw the locks of Jaden's hair on the floor and the open closet. Blair swore that her heart stopped.

"Jaden is gone!" she yelled, running with a lamp into Alexis and Hasselberry's bedroom. The sleeping couple stirred and sat up.

"What?" Hasselberry asked sleepily. Then his eyes fell on the hair comb beside his bed and he picked it up. "It can't be" he whispered.

"_Jaden_!" he shouted, hobbling out of the house with his walking stick. He tripped and fell full length on the wet ground. Hasselberry raised his head and saw past the comb. He saw the open gates and the empty stable. His voice was weak. "No."

Alexis, who had run to her husband and fallen to her knees beside him, ignored the wet coming through her nightdress and placed one hand on Hasselberry's shoulder, staring out the gates.

"You must go after her! She could be killed!"

Alexis started to stand, desperate to bring her darling Jaden back, but her husband pulled her to the ground once again. He shook his head.

"If I reveal her, she will be."

Alexis gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. She then broke down into tears and sought the comfort of her husband's arms. Hasselberry held her close, wishing he could follow his only child, but knowing he couldn't. If it was discovered that a girl had impersonated a soldier and snuck into the army she would be put to death without question. If he went after his daughter and it was discovered that she was a girl, Jaden would be killed.

Watching Alexis and Hasselberry from the house, Blair allowed a single tear to fall down her cheek, feeling old for the first time in many years. She clutched the lamp tightly and sighed.

"Ancestors, hear our prayer" she whispered. "Watch over Jaden."

Hazeru - And Jaden's gone!

Hera - R&R please


	6. Chapter 5  Ancestors And Atticus

Hazeru - Here's the next chapter, I'm trying to get it moving quickly so I can include Shang.

Hera - We all know which GX character is playing him! ;)

Hazeru - Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 5

Ancestors And Atticus

Inside the shrine to the family ancestors, a gust of wind blew out the flame which burned still on the small plate that held the dragon statue. The room grew very dark, but then a blue glow shined brightly out from the biggest stone in the shrine: the tombstone of Zane.

The old ghost of Zane, which had been long gone and was the eldest of the Yuki ancestors, appeared as if from nowhere if you didn't count the blue glow that hung in a string linking him to the stone for a half second before it disappeared. He materialised fully and perched on his tombstone, glancing over at the dish which held the small dragon statue. He waved his hand mystically.

"Atticus, awaken!" he commanded.

The small statue came to life in a burst of red smoke at Zane's command, and went flying halfway across the room, clinking against the ground and sounding like metal hitting the hard surface of the floor. In the smoke, nothing could be seen for a few moments. But then . . .

"I _live_!" the dragon called, rising to it's hind legs with it's arms raised dramatically in front of it's body. Now that the smoke was clearing, a tiny white and blue dragon with brown hair on his head was revealed. His tiny teeth looked very sharp and he had darting eyes. He had a cocky smile and he grinned up enthusiastically at Zane. "So tell me what mortal needs my protection, great ancestor! You just say the word and I'm there!"

"Atticus…"

"Hey, let me say something. Anyone who's foolish enough to threaten _our _family - vengeance will be MINE!"

Zane folded his arms and rolled his eyes. The dragon Atticus was creepily growling and stalking along when Zane shouted at him.

"_Atticus_!" he bellowed, and then raised his hand to the four statues above his head, each a different form of animal or monster. "_These _are the family guardians. They…?"

"Protect the family" Atticus sighed, depressed at this recurring story.

"And you, oh demoted one?" Zane prompted, gesturing to the empty balcony on the ceiling which had once been home to a larger version of Atticus, when he'd been a family guardian himself.

"I…" Atticus sighed, "ring the gong."

"That's right" Zane nodded. "Now, wake up the ancestors."

Atticus took a deep breath and sighed. "All right, one family reunion coming right up" he said, as he picked up a small gong and beater and began to hit one against the other in front of the many other gravestones. "Okay, people look alive! Rise and shine. Come on, get up! You're all past the beauty sleep now, trust me!"

As the gong rang out around the temple, the other tombstones began to glow a mystical blue and one by one the spirits of the other Yuki family ancestors began to materialise. They all perched on their own stone and waited for the others, and all was silent. Only when everyone was assembled did the talking start.

"I knew it. I knew it!" one old woman proclaimed haughtily, waving her translucent walking stick in the face of a young black man who had an unnaturally large nose and muscles in his arms. "That Jaden was a troublemaker from the start!"

"Hey, don't look at me. She gets it from your side of the family!" Axel argued, folding his arms, uninterested.

"She's just trying to help her father!" another woman pointed out.

"But if she's discovered, Hasselberry will be forever shamed" a male ghost contradicted her. "Dishonour will come to the family. Traditional values will disintegrate!"

"Not to mention they'll lose the farm" said another ghost, holding a pitchfork.

"My children never caused such trouble" the first old woman ghost cried. "They all became acupuncturists!"

"Well, we can't all be acupuncturists" Axel yelled at her.

"No!" one old woman shouted at him from across the temple. "Your great-grandfather had to be a _cross-dresser_!"

The ancestors got into a mighty fight about family honour and rights and their children. Outside, light was beginning to fall from the sky, indicating that the night was almost over. The sun was rising and the day was fair, but the temple was still fairly dark, and the ancestors continued to argue. Zane watched with silent disgust and Atticus flicked through a tiny-dragon-sized newspaper, rolling his eyes. All the ancestors could agree on was that Jaden would bring the family dishonour if she was discovered.

"Let the guardians bring her back!" one ancestor called.

"Yes, awaken the most cunning!" Axel said, grabbing Atticus, who raised his beater to the gong, and holding him up to one guardian statue.

"No, the swiftest!" another said as he stole the dragon. Atticus raised the beater.

"No, send the wisest!" the grumpy old woman disagreed, stealing Atticus, who once again raised the beater.

"_Silence_!" Zane roared, and Atticus fell to the ground. Zane began to gesture out the window to a lone statue. "We must send the most power of all…"

Atticus crawled to the guardian balcony which had once been his own and laughed, getting the attention of all the ancestors. "Okay, okay, I get the gist: I'll go!" he said confidently.

The ancestors burst out laughing.

"Oh, you don't think I can do it? Well, watch this here!" Atticus shouted, blowing a small flame of fire, that was so small it could barely light a candle. "Yeah! Now, don't make me singe nobody to prove my point!"

"You had your chance to protect the Yuki family!" Zane yelled in the dragon's face.

"Your misguidance led Bastian to disaster!" one woman said.

"Yeah, thanks a lot" a decapitated Bastian said sarcastically, his torn off head held loosely in one arm.

"And your point is?" Atticus said uncaringly.

"_The point is_!" Zane yelled at Atticus, casting a glance back out the window. "We will be sending a real dragon to retrieve Jaden."

"What? What! _I'm a real dragon_!" Atticus yelled, furious, as he grabbed ahold of a lock of Zane's navy hair and pulled him nose-to-nose.

"_You _are not worthy of this job!" Zane said angrily, grabbing Atticus - who was trying desperately to hold onto a pillar - and throwing him out the door of the temple. "Now awaken the Rainbow Dragon!"

Atticus poked his head back in the temple.

"So you'll get back to me on the job thing?" He wanted to be a guardian again.

Zane threw the gong that Atticus carried at the dragon and it hit him in the face. Atticus fell from the archway with a flat face.

Zane rubbed his temples, irritated by the dragon.

"One chance, is that too much to ask?" Atticus grumbled to himself, slouching down the temple stairs towards the statue of the guardian: Rainbow Dragon. "I mean, it's not like it would kill you."

He stopped in front of the large statue.

"Yo, rocky, wake up! You gotta go fetch Jaden!" he called unenthusiastically, banging the gong. Getting no response from the dragon statue, he sighed and grumbled, slouching with drooped ears over to the front of the statue. He forced himself to grin at the dragon statue. "Come on, go get her!" He threw the gong beater across the yard and whistled. "Come on!"

No response. Atticus sighed. Why him?

He used the gong to climb up and perched on it when he was face-to-face with the Rainbow Dragon. He growled at the fearsome looking statue's teeth, and then continued to climb until he perched on the creature's stone head.

"Hello?" he called into its ear. "_Hello_!"

With a cry of despair - for he was getting no response whatsoever - Atticus used the metal gong to fiercely whack the ear of the Rainbow Dragon statue. He froze in terror as it broke off and landed in his clawed hands. He tried urgently to stick it back on and then heard the sickening crack of the rock he stood on. "Uh-oh!"

The statue of the Rainbow Dragon crumbled and the dust flew up from the broken statue's remains. Atticus coughed and worriedly tapped the in-tact but broken off head of the Rainbow Dragon.

"Hey, stony? Stony!" He realised he'd killed the statue and soul. "Oh man, they're gonna kill me!"

Suddenly…

"Rainbow Dragon! Have you awakened?" came Zane's call from the temple, his expectant face peering out the window.

Atticus sure was glad he could think on his feet!

He placed the hollow head of the Rainbow Dragon statue on his head and stood partially in view of the temple, where Zane could only properly see the head.

"Uh, eh, yes I have just woken up! I am the Rainbow Dragon" he called, waving once at the temple. "Good morning! I will go forth and fetch Jaden! D-did I mention that I was the Rainbow Dragon?"

"Go!" Zane called back. "The fate of the Yuki family rests in your claws!"

"Don't even worry about it! I will not lose faith ... Yah!"

Atticus fell backwards under the weight of the statue's head and landed on the rubble of the rest of the dragon, the head crushing him into another piece of rock.

"Ow! My elbow!" he grumbled, pushing the head of the statue off himself. "Oh, that's just _great_. Now what? I'm doomed! And all because Miss-Man had to take her little drag show on the road!"

He lent his head into the palm of one hand. Feck his life! How would he ever explain this to Zane?

Suddenly, an aqua coloured cricket with excitement in his grey eyes appeared before Atticus and squeaked his message. Atticus gasped and glared at the cricket.

"Go get her?" he said to the cricket angrily. "What's the matter with you? After this whole Rainbow Dragon humpty-dumpty mess" he said, gesturing to the rubble beneath him, "I'd have to bring her home with a medal to get back in the temple!"

The force of Syrus' squeaks got him and he gasped in sudden realisation.

"Wait a minute! That's it! I'll make Jaden a war hero and they'll be _begging _me to come back to work! _That's _the master plan!" He smirked at the temple. "Oh, you've done it now, man!"

He dashed off in the same direction as Jaden had gone the night before. He then noticed the aqua cricket following alongside him. He shoved at the cricket.

"Hey, what makes you think you're coming?" he said, turning the corner.

Syrus squeaked.

"You're lucky?" Atticus laughed, poking his head around the corner again. "Do I look like a sucker to you?"

Syrus ran to him and squeaked again.

"What do you mean a loser?" Atticus growled, following after the cricket who was chasing after the youngest of the Yuki family. "Hey, what if I popped one of your antennas off and threw it across the yard - then who's the loser, me or you?"

Syrus squeaked again.

Hazeru - Atticus' first appearance in this story!

Hera - Tell us what you think! R&R please


	7. Chapter 6  The Fiend Army's Message

Hazeru - Here's another chapter of Mulan!

Hera - Hope everyone enjoys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 6

The Fiend Army's Message

On the varying levels of the mountains, buildings lay in ruins and cinders. The trees were as black as charcoal and lay ruined and burned on the ground. Whatever village had been there before their arrival was long gone in a sea of flames, and the people who'd lived there had fled or worse fate had befallen them - their fate basically depended on how fast they could run. The smoke rose up to the dull sky and the blazing orange flames made the darkness seem almost light, bathing the mountains in an eerie orange glow.

Out of that glow came the same bird which had lately perched on the great wall in front of the soldier who'd alerted the country of the invasion. The bird flew down the mountains until the sky was grey and the mountains towered above the bird's head. It let out an ear-splitting screech and flew in front of the army of horses which ran through a small canyon-like area of the mountain.

On the horses were soldiers, but not human soldiers. No. These were fiends, in every shape and size, all of them different and none of them human. None but the one who led the army in its running.

Their horses were ugly and frightening, polar opposites of the magnificent imperial stallions the emperor's army had. Every fiend carried weapons and wore armour and a fierce glare on their face. The leader of the fiend army, however, kept his face hidden behind a guard that completed his black and gold armour. His red cape flew out behind him as his beast of a horse ran.

Suddenly, the one leading the fiend army pulled roughly on the reigns and the horse grinded to a halt. Immediately, the rest of the fiend army followed his example. The army stood in silent formation, their leader about ten feet in front of the rest of the army. All was quiet while he mapped out the area mentally, and he listened intently - the rest of the army did the same. None got off their horse.

After a few moments of silence, the leader of the fiend army turned his head abruptly to the left. Without speaking, he pointed in the same direction with his index and middle fingers pressed together. Behind him, three fiends leapt off their horses and ran off in the direction given to them.

The three fiends returned not a minute later, but this time, bringing two prisoners. They were two men, who were soldiers - almost like spies or messengers - that had been captured by the fiends. The two were thrown roughly to the ground about twelve feet away from the fiend army's leader. One of the fiends raised his head.

"Imperial scouts!" he informed the leader, who did not answer.

Instead he jumped off his horse and began to walk slowly towards the cowering soldiers. The fiends moved a few feet back to give their leader access to the prisoners. Moving slowly towards them, the leader threw back his face guard, revealing an emotionless face and equally emotionless, terrifying golden eyes.

"The Supreme King" one soldier whispered.

Every person in China knew of the Supreme King, a man named Haou who conquered countries where he could.

That bird, the one which belonged to Haou, leader of the fiends, flew to land on his shoulder, graceful despite being such an ugly creature. It landed confidently, barely aware of the spikes of his master's armour.

The King, Haou, came to a halt in front of the soldiers. He smiled without emotion, and grabbed the armour of one scout, toying with it for a half second before letting it go. He met the eyes of the frightened men.

"Nice work, gentlemen." He gestured to the army. "You found the Fiend Army."

The fiends laughed cruelly. One of the soldiers, the one who hadn't been manhandled by the King, frowned and leaned a centimetre towards him.

"The emperor … will stop you!"

"Stop me?" Haou feigned innocence, before grinning evilly. "He invited me!"

Here, Haou seized the scout who'd spoken by the neck and lifted him clear off the ground, tightening his grip.

"By building his wall he challenged my strength. Well now I'm here to play his game."

The soldier choked vaguely. Haou growled and threw him down.

"Go!" he commanded. "Tell your emperor to send his strongest armies!" He grinned as the guards started to run. "I'm ready."

Haou and his army of fiends watched the soldiers run for a moment, and then Haou said in an off-hand manner, "how many men does it take to deliver a message?"

One fiend drew back his bow and reached for an arrow.

"One!" he snarled.

Hazeru - I can see the Supreme King/Haou leading the army, lol.

Hera - R&R please


	8. Chapter 7  My Guardian

Hazeru - Here's the next chapter.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 7

My Guardian

Sapphire rolled his eyes and looked away from the practicing girl, his face a mask of boredom. He was once again unimpressed by his 'master's' antics. They had been in the same part of the tiny forest for a long time now because Jaden had to practice getting everything right. She had to appear like a man and be convincing about it. However, Jaden's impressions were failing miserably and the white stallion had grown bored with watching them. Jaden turned to the horse.

"Okay, okay, how about this?" She cleared her throat to deepen her voice until it sounded - she hoped - male. "Excuse me, where do I sign in?" she growled in her man's voice. "Ah, I see you have a sword. I have one, too! They're very manly and tough!"

Here, she tried to skilfully pull her sword from its sheath. She missed the handle and tried with both hands to catch the falling blade, completely missing, and biting her lip anxiously as she saw it clatter to the ground. Sapphire began laughing and rolling around on the ground on his back in hysterics. Suddenly, a flying shoe hit him on the head, and an angry Jaden Yuki stomped up to him, wearing only one shoe.

"I'm working on it!" Jaden said indignantly, hands on hips. Then she sighed and put her shoe back on. "Oh, who am I fooling?" She pushed aside some branches so that she could see the nearby army camp. "It's gonna take a miracle to get me into the army."

"DID I HEAR SOMEONE ASK FOR A MIRACLE!" a booming voice shouted, and Jaden turned around in terror. She saw the shadow of what appeared to be a dragon, a very large shadow rising on a huge rock, with bright flames being produced from the bottom of a smaller rock in front. The shadow seemed like a demon and Jaden froze momentarily. The voice went on "LET ME HEAR YOU SAY AAHHH!"

"Yah!" Jaden screamed, diving behind a rock for safety, and Sapphire followed.

"THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH!" the dragon shadow said.

"A ghost" Jaden whispered, peering above the rock she hid behind, revealing only her eyes and a tuft of brown and orange hair.

"GET READY, JADEN, YOUR SALVATION IS AT HAND! FOR I HAVE BEEN SENT BY YOUR ANCESTORS…" He paused as a small cricket-like shadow appeared beside him, making shadow-puppets that appeared like the dragon. The irritated dragon kicked the cricket away and continued "…TO CATER TO YOUR MASQUERADE!"

The dragon ducked down, and unknown to Jaden, glared at the cricket Syrus. He passed the cricket a small leaf and hissed at him.

"Come on. If you're gonna stay, you're gonna work."

Startled, Syrus began flapping the leaf in front of the tiny flames Atticus had started, making them appear massive and give him an impressive shadow.

The dragon shadow reappeared.

"SO HEED MY WORD, CAUSE IF THE ARMY FINDS OUT YOU'RE A GIRL" the dragon bellowed, pointing a clawed finger at the frightened Jaden, "THE PENALTY IS DEATH!"

Jaden dared to put her whole head above the rock she still hid behind and frowned up at the dragon. "Who are you?" she asked quietly.

"WHO AM I? WHO AM I?" the dragon said, in an almost joking manner, soon turning serious again. "I AM THE GUARDIAN OF LOST SOULS!"

Jaden dared to stand and smile up at the shadow, one hand placed on Sapphire's neck to assure him that all was well. The dragon shadow still shrieked and began to move to one side of the rock, like the creature would reveal itself.

"I AM THE POWERFUL … THE PLEASURABLE …"

Here walked out the tiny blue and white dragon.

"The indestructible Atticus!"

Jaden raised one eyebrow, confusion lining her features.

Atticus laughed.

"Haha, pretty hot, huh?" he grinned.

Sapphire then proceed to trample the small dragon into the ground. Jaden quickly calmed and stopped the horse, still looking uncertainly at the now trampled dragon that lay crushed into the ground.

Atticus blinked blearily. He had bruises and one black eye, but he was a dragon - they'd be gone within the hour. He pushed himself up to his knees, coughing.

Jaden knelt beside the abused dragon and picked him up by his sides in two fingers, still unimpressed and uncertain.

"My ancestors sent a little lizard to help me?"

She dropped him again and Atticus was soon on his feet. Jaden poked at him and he slapped the girl's slender fingers away.

"Hey, hey! Dragon. Dragon!" he emphasized. "Not lizard. I don't do that tongue thing." Here he hissed his tongue at Jaden, which was forked, just like a lizard's.

Jaden stood up and glanced away.

"You're … ehm …"

"Intimidating?" Atticus said confidently, trailing his tail around a bamboo pole to be at eye-level with the human girl. "All-inspiring?"

"…tiny" Jaden finished.

"Of course" Atticus shrugged. "I'm travel size for your convenience! If I was my real size, your cow here would die of fright" he said, pointing to Sapphire, who was insulted and tried to bite Atticus. Atticus glared. "Down, Bessie!"

Atticus went back to Jaden, and perched on her shoulder.

"My powers are beyond your mortal imagination." He jumped back to his bamboo pole and grinned. "Look at this: my eyes, can see straight through your armour!" he grinned, his eyes going to Jaden's chest.

Jaden, with a disapproving look, used one arm to cover her chest and slapped Atticus on the face. He flew away from her with a cry and landed on the ground on his back. Syrus pushed him to his feet. Angered, the dragon held his sore nose.

"All right, that's it! Dishonour! Dishonour on your _whole _family!" He turned to Syrus. "Take a note of this!"

Syrus grabbed a leaf and thorn to write with and scribed down what Atticus then preached.

"Dishonour on _you_!" Atticus yelled, turning from left to right with his arms splayed before him!" Dishonour on your _cow_! Dis…"

"Stop!" Jaden begged, covering the dragon's mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She sighed and drew her hands into her lap. "I'm just nervous. I've never done this before."

"Then you're gonna have to trust me!" Atticus said, turning away and then turning back, pointing at Jaden. "And don't you slap me no more! We clear on that?"

Jaden nodded obediently.

Atticus took in a breath and then grinned.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road! Syrus, get the bags!" Syrus dashed off and Atticus beckoned to Sapphire. "Let's move it, heifer!"

Sapphire glared at the small dragon who had just taken charge of Jaden.

Hazeru - Just letting everyone know that TheNerdyOtaku also has a fic based on Mulan, previously on here called "The War Of Love", from an old account. Its rewrite should be posted by TheNerdyOtaku.

Hera - You looking forward to reading it?

Hazeru - Sure am! It'll be fun to see which of our characters are the same and which are different. We had the same idea, by the way, nobody's copying anyone. Just letting everyone know.

Hera - Well, R&R please!


	9. Chapter 8  The Camp

Hazeru - Here we go, another chapter.

Hera - It's a bit longer, but hey, she couldn't stop.

Hazeru - You're evil.

Hera - That's the general idea of me from your point of view, isn't it?

Hazeru - I guess so. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 8

The Camp

There were tents set up all around, some made for living purposes and some for training purposes. There were voices coming from all around the camp and it was very noisy. All around the grassy camp walked men, carrying weapons or wood and materials, talking in groups or mock training. Their actual training didn't begin until later that day. There were, all around, proud flags flying, promoting the idea of victory for China. The men in the camp didn't look professional, but by the end of their training, they would each be a soldier. By force, they were going to become soldiers, whether they liked it or not.

Jaden peeked into the camp from the entrance, trying to hide behind the fence. Now, she had no more time to practice - she was going in! It didn't look very frightening but the men didn't exactly look friendly, either.

"Okay, this is it!" Atticus whispered to Jaden, sitting on her shoulder. "Time to show them your man walk! Shoulders back, chest high, feet apart, head up!" Atticus instructed, Jaden doing as he said. "And, strut!"

Jaden marched into the camp, feet wide apart and arms waving all over the place, looking like an idiot as Atticus encouraged her that she was doing the right thing.

"Two, three, and work it, two three …" the dragon hissed in her ear.

Jaden walked into a random open tent and saw two filthy men, one with his finger up his nose and the other using chopsticks to trim his toenails.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Atticus muttered.

"They're disgusting!" Jaden whined.

"No, they're men" the dragon corrected. "And you're gonna have to act just like them, so pay attention!"

He grabbed Jaden's chin and turned the girl's head towards a group of three men, one of whom was unbuttoning and opening the front of his shirt. It revealed a tattoo of a red dragon in the standard Chinese style.

"Look!" he bragged, smiling smugly. "This tattoo will protect me from harm!"

The other two men looked at each other slyly and grinned evilly. One had silver hair and bright blue eyes, the other had black hair and black eyes with very pale skin. The black haired one punched the third man in the gut, right on his tattoo. The man went flying, and the silver haired man burst out laughing.

"I hope you can get your money back!" he laughed, clapping the black haired man on the shoulder, who looked pleased with himself.

"I don't think I can do this" Jaden whimpered, truly doubtful.

Atticus shook his head at her.

"It's all attitude" he told her wisely. "Be tough, like this guy here!"

He pointed to the black haired man who'd thrown the punch. The black haired man spat and then glared at Jaden, who was looking at him disapprovingly.

"What are you looking at?" he growled.

"Punch him - it's how men say hello" Atticus whispered.

Jaden, smiling, punched the black haired man fiercely on the arm. He flew into the chest of another, much taller man, who wore a hat and had a bandage over one eye. This teal-eyed man smiled and picked up the black haired man.

"Hey, Chazz, you made a friend!" he grinned, setting Chazz down.

"Good. Now slap 'em on the behind, they like that" Atticus instructed from inside Jaden's collar.

Jaden obliged and slapped the black haired man's behind. Chazz growled and turned around, grabbing Jaden's collar.

"I'm gonna hit you so hard, it'll make your _ancestors _dizzy!" he growled.

The bandaged man saved Jaden by once again picking Chazz up.

"Chazz, relax - and chant with me."

Chazz growled and his face turned bright red with anger as the man holding him sang a slow, calming tune. Jaden and Atticus stared at them in astonishment. The man stopped singing and grinned at the black haired man, who reluctantly muttered some nonsense that sounded nothing like what the other had said.

"Feel better?" the bandaged man said.

Chazz muttered an unenthusiastic agreement, and was set down. He glared at Jaden.

"Ah, you ain't worth my time" he muttered, starting to walk away. "Chicken boy."

"CHICKEN BOY?" Atticus shrieked, jumping up. "Say that to my _face_, you _limp noodle_!"

Believing that Jaden had been the one to insult him, Chazz growled and grabbed ahold of Jaden, drawing his fist back. But as he shot his fist forward, Jaden ducked and Chazz hit the silver haired man who stood behind Jaden. The silver haired man ended up with a black eye and his teeth shattering. He fell to the ground.

"Oh, sorry, Aster" Chazz simpered, his hands clasped together in a girly fashion.

He then spotted Jaden trying to crawl away.

"Hey!" he yelled, grabbing the girl's - he thought she was a man, but that was necessary - ankle.

Aster, angered by the wrongful attack, threw his foot at the black haired man's behind and knocked Chazz over. Chazz flew through the air and landed on the bandaged man's chest, both of them landing on the ground. Aster then flew at them, managing to kick Chazz. Jaden took the chance to speed away, her heart thumping. She heard a cry of "you're dead" which sounded like it came from Aster.

Chazz and Aster fought on top of the bandaged man's - whose name, incidentally, was Jim - chest, while Jim slapped his hands at them, trying to avoid getting hit. Aster had a hunk of Chazz's hair in his hand and Chazz was blindly punching the air when Aster saw Jaden making her escape.

"Hey, there he goes!" Aster yelled, pointing at Jaden, who fled.

Jaden ran into the nearest tent, closely followed by Chazz, Aster and Jim, who rushed after her.

One the other side of the tent, Chazz, Aster and Jim ran out. Jaden poked her head out of the tent, mentally thanking herself for her quick thinking in hiding.

The three men who'd been chasing her were heading towards the lunch queue, which led to a giant cauldron of rice. Chazz managed to stop with an inch to spare between him and the man in front. Aster barely managed to stop two millimetres behind Chazz. Then Jim ran up, and he collided with Aster, and the whole line of men fell down like human dominoes. They knocked over the cauldron, spilling the rice and knocking over the fat chef.

Jaden gulped and bit her lip as the angry men all turned towards her, eyes blazing. Atticus had disappeared into her collar to keep himself from being noticed and probably beaten to a pulp.

"Hey, guys" she tried to reason, as the men stalked towards her, Chazz leading them, with his arms raised and fingers ready to seize Jaden and destroy her.

Watching this from a little bit away, Crowler sighed in disapproval. He flung open the front of a tent and walked inside, quickly listening to the conversation going on.

Inside the large, more classy tent, sat two men. One was General Jehu, who sat on one side of a map and model, using a stick to point out different areas of the map to the other man sitting opposite him. The other man was very similar to Jehu. He had the same spiky blue hair and lightly accented muscles on his arms, though he covered them up somewhat more that Jehu did. His skin was a little paler than the General's, and his eyes were far more calm and soothing than Jehu's blazing orange - they were a calm, caring green colour.

"The fiends have struck here, here and here" General Jehu said in a factual manner, indicating areas on the map. "I will take the troops up to the South Eastern pass and stop the Supreme King before he destroys this village."

"Excellent strategy, sir" Crowler said, grinning. "I do love surprises." He laughed.

The two bluenettes looked at him, unimpressed, and he stopped laughing. They turned back to each other, and the General continued.

"You will stay and train the new recruits" he instructed, authority in his voice. "When Crowler believes you are ready, you will join us…," he said, handing a sword to the younger bluenette. "…captain."

The other took the sword and stared at it, disbelievingly.

"Captain?" he whispered.

Crowler gave a short cry of protest.

"This is an enormous responsibility, General" he argued. "Perhaps a solider with more experience…"

"Number one in his class" the General interrupted. "Extensive knowledge of training techniques, and impressive military leader skills. I believe Jesse Andersen will do an excellent job."

"Oh, I will" the bluenette, Jesse, promised eagerly. "I won't let you down. This is, I mean …" He cleared his throat and bowed customarily to the General. "Yes, sir."

"Very well, then" Jehu nodded, standing and heading out of the tent. "We'll toast China's victory at the Imperial City." He turned to Crowler. "I'll expect a full report in three weeks."

Crowler nodded, and as the General walked out, turning to Jesse and glared.

"And I won't leave anything out." He then followed the General.

Jesse stood still, getting the situation together in his head.

"Captain Jesse Andersen. Leader of China's finest troops …" He grinned. "No, the greatest troops of all time."

He laughed quietly to himself and walked out of the tent.

Outside the tent was chaos. The men - the future soldiers, no less - were fighting amongst themselves, bashing heads off the ground and throwing punches and kicks like there was no tomorrow. Aster had a fish in one hand which he was using to slap someone across the face. Chazz was sitting on some poor soul and repeatedly hitting them. Jim was eating rice.

Jehu, Jesse and Crowler stared at them in disbelief.

One soldier who had been thoroughly beaten walked up to them, his eye blackened, and raised his hand to his forehead in a salute. He then collapsed to the ground. Jehu and Jesse looked at each other.

"Most impressive" Crowler remarked sarcastically.

General Jehu stepped over the man on the ground and got onto his white Imperial stallion. He turned back to Jesse and grinned.

"Good luck, Captain" he said, before leading his horse out of the camp grounds, a whole line of other professional soldiers following after on their horses.

"Good luck … Father" Jesse murmured.

The General and his troops disappeared from view, more horses and soldiers joining them as they ran to fight the enemy.

Crowler then turned to Jesse and smirked.

"Day one" he smiled smugly.

Jesse growled softly and marched over to the squabbling men.

"Soldiers!" he shouted.

Everyone stilled, Chazz taking the moment to punch the man in his grasp one last time in the face, and then everyone drew back and pointed at the cowering brunette soldier on the ground.

"He started it!" they said simultaneously.

Jesse marched over to the cowering soldier. Seeing him approaching, Atticus dived into Jaden's collar and hid. Jaden noticed him herself and hastily stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. Jesse glared at her and put his face very close to hers.

"I don't need anyone causing trouble in my camp" he said firmly.

"Sorry" Jaden said quietly, and then she remembered that she was supposed to be a man and cleared her throat. "Eh, I mean, I'm sorry you had to see that!" she growled in her man's voice, while hitting her chest in what she hoped was a manly fashion. "But you know how it is, when you get one of those … manly urges. And you just gotta kill something!" she hit her own hand and flinched at the pain, shaking her hand. "Fix things … pick fights …"

"What's your name?" Jesse interrupted, irritated.

Jaden started stammering a whole lot of nonsense. _Damn it, I didn't even think on a new name_, she thought in a panic.

Crowler marched over to her.

"Your commanding officer just asked you a question" he growled.

"Eh … I've got a name. And, it's a boy's name, too" she nodded.

_Can Jaden be a boy's name? I don't know. I can't risk it_, she thought.

Behind her neck, Atticus grinned.

"Aster, how about Aster?" he suggested.

"His name is Aster" she muttered to the dragon, turning her head to indicate the silver haired man.

"I didn't ask for his name" Jesse said to her. "I asked for yours."

"Eh … uh … Atchoo" Atticus said despairingly.

"Atchoo" Jaden repeatedly.

"Atchoo?" Jesse muttered, unconvinced.

"Gazuntight. Heh, I kill myself" Atticus laughed.

"Atticus" Jaden hissed.

"Atticus?" Jesse said.

"No!" Jaden protested.

"Then what is it?" Jesse shouted at her.

"Yubel!" Atticus whispered. "Yubel was my best friend growing up!"

"It's Yubel!" Jaden said to Jesse.

"Yubel?" Jesse asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Hmm, of course Yubel did steal my …" Atticus contemplated, before Jaden threw her arm back over her head and closed her fist around the dragon's mouth.

"Yes. My name is Yubel" she said.

Jesse sighed in annoyance.

"Let me see your conscription notice" he demanded.

Hastily, Jaden grabbed it and handed it to the bluenette. He scanned it, Crowler reading over his shoulder.

"Hasselberry Yuki …_the _Hasselberry Yuki?" Jesse muttered.

"I didn't know Hasselberry had a son!" Crowler said in disbelief.

"Eh … he … he doesn't talk about me much" Jaden - or Yubel, as she had named herself - said, and then she tried to spit on the ground as she had seen the men around her doing, but she managed to mess it up, a trail of saliva leading from her lips to the ground.

"I can see why" Crowler whispered to Jesse. "The boy's an absolute lunatic!"

The men around them all laughed.

Jesse sighed and then stood up straight, walking around Jaden.

"Okay, gentlemen" he addressed the crowd. "Thanks to your new friend Yubel, you'll spend tonight picking up _every single grain of rice_!" Everyone slouched over in disgust as he said that. "And tomorrow," he continued, everyone straightening up again, "the real work begins!"

As Jesse walked off, Crowler following, the men all snarled and glared at Jaden, ready to kill for what she'd brought on them.

Atticus popped up from her collar as she looked terrified at the men surrounding her. He looked at her, unconvinced.

"You know, we're gonna have to work on your people skills."

Hazeru - Well, she didn't have a great first day.

Hera - But at least Jesse's there now!

Hazeru - And Chazz, Jim and Aster!

Hera - R&R please


	10. Chapter 9  Waking Up

Hazeru - This chapter's a little short, sorry :(

Hera - At least you wrote a bit more.

Hazeru - Enjoy the chapter, everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 9

Waking Up

A calming breeze rustled the flags hung around the camp, making them gently blow around in the wind. Careful arrangements of tents were set up all around this area of the camp, each tent holding within its flimsy walls a soldier and his belongings - unless that soldier had already left for breakfast, which many probably had. A few birds passed overhead, flying directly over the lone tent which was shabbily set up - its occupant having no idea how to set up a tent and her dragon having even less of an idea about it than she did - a small distance away from all the other tents. It was under a skinny tree and had a white horse grazing outside.

Inside the tent, next to a sleeping brunette, an aqua coloured cricket slept sounding in a shoe, using a sock as a blanket. The cricket's sleep was disturbed when a blue and white dragon grabbed him and began roughly twisting his wings up together tightly. The cricket, Syrus, pulled a face which showed surprised pain, and then was lowered to the head of the slumbering brunette human. The dragon released the wings and Syrus rattled about as his wings unfurled at a rapid face, making a sound which was similar to an alarm clock. The dragon's tricks using the poor cricket worked - the brunette woke up and jerked her head up, staring blearily at the cricket.

"All right! Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Atticus grinned, lightly tapping on the girl's forehead. "Come on, up, up, up!"

The brunette turned away and pulled the blanket back over her head. Atticus was having none of that - he grabbed the bottom of the blanket and pulled it off the girl - who gasped at the sudden cold - and out of her reach, though she took a moment to sleepily search for it with one hand.

"Get your clothes on. Get ready" the dragon called. "Got breakfast for you."

Jaden sleepily sat up and stretched.

Atticus then jumped up onto her knee, wearing a pink apron and holding a bowl with chopsticks stuck into it up to her proudly.

"Look, you get _porridge_!" he proclaimed, showing her the porridge, with its two fried eggs and single strip of bacon on top, in the shape of a smiley face. (Eggs for eyes and bacon for a mouth). "And it's happy to see you!"

Suddenly Syrus popped up in the middle of the porridge, looking almost like he was supposed to be there to fill in the position of the nose in the smiley face.

"Get outta there!" Atticus groaned, using the chopsticks to fling the poor cricket out of the bowl and away. "You're gonna make people sick!"

Jaden, not paying attention to their antics, scratched her head sleepily and tried to wake up as she muttered "am I late?"

Not giving her an answer, the dragon suddenly stuffed a large mouthful of egg into her mouth.

"No time to talk" he said, shoving in another mouthful even though she hadn't yet swallowed. "Now remember it's your first day of training, so listen to your teacher and no fighting." He shoved into her mouth another few mouthfuls of porridge. "Play nice with other kids - unless of course, when the other kids want to fight. Then you have to kick the other kids' butt."

"But I don't wanna kick the other kids' butt" Jaden protested through an enormous mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full" Atticus sighed. "Now let's see your war face!"

Jaden looked at him with bulging cheeks and a confused expression. Atticus sighed again and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover" he said, quickly grabbing Jaden's shirt. "Come on, scare me girl!"

Jaden hastily swallowed and growled menacingly at him, pulling a fearsome face. Atticus was thrown back and landed on the ground, lying on his back and covered in porridge with the now empty bowl lying over him. He propped it up using his arm and grinned at the girl.

"Yeah, that's my tough looking warrior! That's what I'm talking about!" He jumped up and tied Jaden's hair up so it looked nice and short like a boy's. "Now get out there and make me proud!"

There was suddenly an urgent sound from the white horse outside, and Sapphire put his head down to the tent's door and hastily neighed some words, gesturing to an area of the camp a while away from Jaden's tent.

"What do you mean 'the troops just left'?" Atticus frowned.

Jaden, who had been lazily getting dressed, froze.

"They what?" she gasped.

A few seconds later, Jaden tumbled backwards out of the tent, hastily pulling her shoe over her foot before stumbling and running off in the direction the other soldiers had gone. There was the sound of Atticus' grumbling from underneath the now collapsed tent, and his small dragon shape poked about under the material. Then he ran out, still wearing the apron, dragging the girl's weapon in both his arms.

"Wait, you forgot your sword!" he called.

Jaden was too far in the distance and didn't hear him. Syrus bounced up onto the end of the sword's handle, close to Atticus, and watched the girl disappear. Atticus smiled proudly, looking like he was holding back tears.

"My little baby off to destroy people" he said proudly.

Then he started to cry feebly, and Syrus comfortingly patted him on the nose.

Hazeru - Now she's late. She doesn't have much luck :(

Hera - R&R please


	11. Chapter 10  Training

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - Enjoy, everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 10

Training

The soldiers were assembled and waiting for their first day of training to begin. But they weren't in order. Instead, they were all messing around, talking and jumping on each other and practicing unskilled fighting moves.

Crowler moved past a group of them, his faithful clipboard in one hand, waving his equally faithful paintbrush at them.

"Order!" he called desperately. "People, order!"

One man stuck up his hand.

"I'd like some fried noodles!" he called.

"Oh, and some sweet shrimp" Jim added.

The men all burst into laughter while Crowler growled.

"That's not funny!" the stuck-up blonde man hissed at them, before moving on, avoiding the men who were doing impressions of him and pointing to their own imaginary blonde ponytails.

The men continued to laugh until Aster looked to the right and saw a certain brunette approaching hastily. Aster slapped Chazz on the arm and gestured towards the person hurrying towards them.

"Looks like our new friend slept in this morning!" Aster called, while Jaden moved quickly into her place - unfortunately for her, that place was right with Chazz, Aster and Jim. Every man there fell silent and glared at the brunette, who had cost them their first day of training and meant that they had all spent hours picking up rice the previous night. Yubel - as they knew her - was not popular. Jaden knew that much perfectly well. She looked at the ground but Aster grinned at her.

"Hello, Yubel" Aster said, with mock kindness. "Are you hungry?"

Jaden smiled nervously while Jim came up behind her, looking worried.

"Yeah" Chazz contemplated. "Because I owe you a knuckle sandwich!"

Here he grabbed ahold of Jaden's shirt and drew his fist back. Aster grinned and turned away, covering his ears, while Jim's worriedly look grew. Jaden covered her face with both her hands, but they were interrupted before Chazz could hit the cowering girl.

"Soldiers!" a familiar voice shouted.

Everyone stopped what they were doing - and most of them had been waiting for Chazz to hit Jaden - and quickly assembled into a straight line and stood silently.

The bluenette walked up to a huge pile of bamboo sticks, long and sturdy, and there he took off his white shirt and laid it on the ground. Jaden peered out from her place in the line, next to Jim, and stared at the captain.

_Wow_, she thought, as she gazed in awe at the muscles on his body, accented enough to be attractive but not too much. _He's gorgeous_.

"You will assemble swiftly and silently every morning" Jesse said simply, picking up a bag and a bow (the type used to fire an arrow) and walking in a parallel line to the soldiers. "Anyone who acts otherwise, will answer to me."

"Oh, tough guy!" Chazz muttered sarcastically.

"Chazz" came the southern voice.

Chazz's sarcastic expression changed to one of surprise as everyone but him took a large step backwards, leaving him alone. Jesse drew back an arrow on the bow, causing another look of surprise to come to Chazz's face, and then he fired the arrow upwards, hitting a very tall wooden pole at the top of the pole. His target met, Jesse shrugged the bag off his shoulders and dropped the bow.

"Thank you for volunteering" he said to Chazz with a smile. "Retrieve the arrow."

Chazz glared at him for a moment, before cracking his knuckles. He then glared more at the bluenette and spoke in low growl.

"I'll get that arrow, pretty boy" he muttered. "And I'll do it with my shirt _on_."

Chazz walked up to the huge wooden pole - it looked to be perhaps twenty metres high - and got into position to jump. But just as he was about to launch himself off the ground, Jesse came up behind him.

"One moment" the bluenette said. "You seem to be missing something."

Chazz, who had been glaring angrily at the ground, turned around with a glare.

He saw that Crowler, the blonde irritating one, stood next to Jesse, holding a thin brown box, which he appearing to be about to drop. His arms were in a painfully straight position, his face desperate. Jesse opened the box and pulled from it two objects, with complete ease, like they were light when they were actually very heavy.

They were two huge gold coloured weights, each held by a strong black band.

Jesse walked over and wrapped one around Chazz's right wrist, holding that wrist up.

"This represents discipline" Jesse informed everyone.

He dropped the black haired man's wrist, and it fell to the ground. Chazz picked it up again, grunting at the heaviness of the weight. He looked almost worried as Jesse held up his other wrist and put the other weight on it.

"And this represents strength" Jesse said.

He then dropped the other man's wrist, and with a look of terror, Chazz fell to the ground.

Aster and Jim appearing to be in quiet hysterics, and Jaden bit her lip as she looked at them in terror. She was terrified of what might be going to happen.

"You need both to reach the arrow" Jesse said, and he nodded to Chazz to tell him to get moving.

Jaden swallowed. Everyone would have to do this? How was she going to get up a perfectly smooth, straight wooden pole to reach that arrow with two weights on her wrists? Suddenly she realised just how hard this was all going to be, and she continued to bite her lip in fear. But she tried to calm herself down, reminding herself that she had to appear to be a strong male warrior. Maybe it was easier than it looked. She watched Chazz attempt it.

Chazz looked up in awe at the arrow and then glared at it.

He leaped at it, clutching onto the wood and quickly scurrying up the first two metres or so, before he started to slip. Desperate, he sunk his teeth into the wood, but he slid down anyway, leaving a teeth-shaped gouge in the wood.

When Aster tried, he fell down so that he lay full out on the ground, his chin caught on the wood, his expression dazed.

When Jim tried, he managed quite a height and fell down with such a thud that the pole came a few inches out of the ground before sinking back in, Jim watching sheepishly.

When Jaden tried, she fell down onto her behind, staring up at the arrow.

She walked back to the line, rubbing her sore rear with both hands. Jesse watched her go, rubbing the back of his neck in irritation.

"We've got a long way to go" he remarked.

Jesse picked up the multitude of bamboo shoots and tossed them towards the line of men, his aim perfect and each man was able to catch one bamboo pole - except for Chazz, who meanly grabbed two, and Jaden folded her arms in annoyance at him. Chazz used her own to trip her up, and then threw it down on the ground next to her, looking innocently away.

Jesse got them assembled, grabbed a stick of bamboo and began the training. Of course, this was done through song - the old fashioned way.

_Let's get down to business. _

He struck two pots with the bamboo and shattered them.

_To defeat the Fiends._

_Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons? _

Aster put a bug down the collar of Jaden's shirt, causing her body to jerk about irrationally, unintentionally hitting the people around her with her bamboo. From a distance away, Atticus face-palmed.

_You're the saddest bunch I ever met._

_But you can bet before we're through,_

Jesse jumped over the men on the ground - Chazz and Aster watching in awe - and grabbed the bamboo away from Jaden, oblivious to the cricket holding the dragon back from attacking him.

_Mister, I'll make a man …_

He grabbed Jaden by the collar.

…_out of you!_

Jesse led them on a exercise which involved a bow and arrow.

_Tranquil as a forest but on fire within._

_Once you find your centre, you are sure to win._

_You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot. _

_And you haven't got a clue._

_Somehow I'll make a man out of you!_

One a survival exercise, they learned how to catch fish with their bare hands. One flick of his hands in the water and Jesse had a fish. Chazz and Jaden tried it. Feeling her fingers close around something fleshy, Jaden pulled it up - only to see a human foot in her hand! Looking down, there was a half drowned Chazz underwater. She sheepishly lowered his foot and took the fish that Atticus offered to her.

On an exercise on dodging flaming arrows …

_I'm never gonna catch my breath_, Jim sang.

_Say goodbye to those who knew me_, Chazz sang, as he was shot in the behind.

Breaking blocks with their faces …

_Boy was I a fool at school for cutting gym_, Aster sang, breaking off three teeth.

In combat lessons Jaden was fighting Jesse, and he hit her in the face and she flew backwards into a tree, where Atticus dabbed at her forehead with a damp cloth.

_This guy's got 'em scared to death_, the dragon sang.

_Hope he doesn't see right through me_, Jaden answered.

Jumping across high pillars over deep water, Jim sang out _Now I really wish that I knew how to swim!_

Then more training exercises followed and Jesse continued, accompanied by the soldiers.

_Be a man. _

_You must be swift as a coursing river._

_Be a man._

_With all the force of a great typhoon. _

_Be a man._

_With all the strength of a raging fire._

_Mysterious as the dark side of the moon. _

The soldiers were carrying heavy stone in two bags balanced on bamboo poles across their shoulders as Jesse continued.

_Time is racing towards us, till the Fiends arrive._

_Heed my every order and you might survive._

Jaden collapsed and sighed in embarrassment as the so attractive captain took her bamboo on his shoulders along with her own and continued. She hung her head.

That night, Jesse's song continued as he led Jaden's horse up to her.

_You're unsuited for the rage of war._

_So pack up, go home. _

_You're through._

_How could I make a man out of you? _

Distraught, Jaden turned away, but then she looked up at the arrow. Nobody had reached it yet. This was her chance to prove herself!

She found the gold weights and leapt at the wooden pole, and fell off. She then looked at the bands that were tied to both her wrists and the weights, and had a sudden idea. She put her arms around the wooden pole and twisted the bands together so that they formed a circle of rope.

Jaden used this circle to walk up the wooden pole, hoisting her weight up as she went along. It was taking hours, and sunlight came. Men came out of their tents and watched as Jaden made her way to the arrow slowly but determinedly.

As Jesse Andersen walked out of his tent, an arrow fell at his feet.

He looked up to see Yubel - as he knew her/him to be - sitting atop the wooden pole, smiling hopefully down at him, as the other soldiers cheered.

As the song between the captain and the soldiers continued, Jaden's progress just got better and better, and soon she was leading ahead of the other soldiers.

_Be a man. _

_You must be swift as a coursing river._

_Be a man._

_With all the force of a great typhoon. _

_Be a man._

_With all the strength of a raging fire._

_Mysterious as the dark side of the moon. _

Soon, Jim could leap across the water with no fear, even doing cartwheels.

Soon, Aster could break those blocks using his face, and do it right.

Soon, Chazz was running through flaming arrows with a grin on his face.

Soon, Jaden could sometimes beat Jesse in single combat.

And as she made dubious friends with some of the men, everyone got better until they all knew they were almost fully trained soldiers. Jesse watched them all the while, impressed with their progress.

He was impressed by Yubel most of all.

Hazeru - Just as a side note, Jaden will have two names for a while in this fic.

Hera - Her real name's Jaden, and her "boy's" name is Yubel.

Hazeru - So if you see Yubel, it's actually Jaden. Sadly, Yubel isn't in this fic :(

Hera - You'll just have to give her a big role in another fic.

Hazeru - Will do! Oh, and this will probably be the last song in this fic, if nobody objects to it. Let us know if you really want the last song in.

Hera - R&R please.


	12. Chapter 11  The Doll

Hazeru - Here's another chapter!

Hera - Sorry it's a bit short.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 11

The Doll

In the serenity of the snow topped mountains, a tall twisted tree was suddenly robbed of about three metres of its height, as a sword cut through part of its trunk. That part of the tree fell away, revealing the armoured figure who had sliced the wood.

Haou's icy gold eyes scanned around as the screech of his trusty companion was heard, and a dark winged bird flew overhead. Haou looked up and brought up his hand to catch the small object that the bird dropped from its talons.

Looking at it, the Supreme King saw that it was a small doll, tatty with a ripped red dress and black hair, only about fifteen centimetres in height. He sniffed at the doll a couple of times, and picked up the scent of wood, fire, and other signs of war.

The gold eyed terror dropped out of the tree to land in a crouched position in front of his army of Fiends, three of them a few feet in front of the rest.

Haou glared at those three, and tossed the doll to one of them. The fiend caught it and looked down at the delicate doll.

"What do you see?" Haou asked, his voice emotionless.

The fiend scanned the doll with his eyes.

"Black pine" he answered. "From the high mountains!"

Another fiend grabbed the doll, and plucked from it a fine white hair.

"White horse hair" he told the king. "Imperial stallions."

The third fiend grabbed the doll and sniffed it.

"Sulphur" he informed the king. "From canons."

The third fiend handed the doll back to the Supreme King, who looked down at it as he spoke to them.

"This doll came from a village in the South Eastern Pass, where the Imperial Army is waiting for us."

A fourth fiend, the one that carried a boy and arrow, came up beside the other three and said, "we can avoid them easily."

But Haou shook his head.

"No" the king said quietly. "The quickest way to the emperor is through that pass."

Haou looked off into the distance as he spoke, mentally navigating his way through the mountains to the area where he knew - because he was more training in war strategies than anyone he could think of - the Imperial Army would be waiting.

Haou looked down at the cotton doll in his hand.

"Besides. The little girl will be missing her doll."

He turned and grinned evilly at them, something he rarely did.

"We should return it to her."

Hazeru - The Fiends have gone to attack General Jehu's army!

Hera - R&R please


	13. Chapter 12  Close Call

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 12

Close Call

The moon was full and the night was calm. The moonlight spread off into the water like a silvery road. The water was the only place for bathing anywhere near the camp, the rest of the lakes around the area were filthy - but this one had sparkling, clear water. Unlike all the other lakes, too, this one had a white stallion grazing next to it, and a very irritated blue and white dragon pacing back and forth in the reeds.

"No. Oh no, this is not a good idea" he complained, glaring up at a figure behind some reeds. "What is somebody sees you?"

"Just because I look like a man doesn't mean I have to smell like one" Jaden retorted, hanging her clothes up as she undressed in the cover of the tall reeds.

Atticus sighed in annoyance.

"So a couple of guys don't rinse out their socks! Picky, picky, picky!" he muttered, using his long blue and white ears to cover his eyes as Jaden's bare legs ran past him and into the water. "Me myself, I kinda like that corn chip smell!"

He couldn't continue, because a splash of water suddenly landed on his head.

In the water, Jaden resurfaced, her hair hitting her face as she sighed in content at the silky feel of the water on her limbs.

Atticus stomped up to her, eyes still covered, and held out a small cloth.

"Yeah, yeah, alright, that's enough" he muttered. "Now come on, get out before you get all pruny and stuff."

Jaden sighed and continued to use the water to wash her limbs.

"Atticus, if you're so worried, go stand watch" she said simply.

"Yeah, yeah" Atticus muttered, stomping back over to Syrus the cricket. He put on a fake, high pitched female voice. "Stand watch, Atticus, while I blow our secret with my stupid girly habits." He huffed in annoyance. "Hygiene!"

Suddenly Syrus started squeaking, and Atticus uncovered one eye. He heard males laughing, and then three pairs of bare legs rushed obliviously past him, the people undressing as they went, causing a pair of white underpants with red hearts to land on top of Atticus.

The small dragon gasped and looked at the three rushing into the water, pulling the underwear off his eyes and over his head.

"We're doomed!" he gasped, looking frantically at Syrus. "There are a couple of things I _know _they're bound to notice!"

He made a dash for the water, in the process throwing the underwear over Syrus.

Jaden heard the voices of males rapidly approaching, and sunk into the water, so that she was covered up to her eyes. She peered over in terror as two naked males - Chazz and Aster - ran into the water. Close behind them was Jim, and he dipped one toe into the water before taking a running leap at it, causing a huge wave to throw Aster and Chazz further out in the water.

As the ripple of water passed her, Jaden pulled a lily pad over her face in a weak attempt to hide herself.

The three males began to swim in her direction, waving at her occasionally. She was caught. Chazz grinned and waved enthusiastically at her.

"Hey! Yubel!" he called.

Jaden put the lily pad down on the surface of the water and took on her manly voice.

"Oh, hi, guys" she said. "I didn't know you were here."

The three looked at her in confusion.

"I was just washing, so now I'm clean, and I'm gonna go. Bye bye!" Jaden babbled, quickly moving behind a rock to hide herself.

"Come back here" Aster encouraged, grabbing her elbow and pulling her towards them. "I know we were jerks to you before, so let's start over." He held out his hand for Jaden to shake. "Hi. I'm Aster."

Jaden smiled as authentically as she could.

"And I'm Jim" Jim said, appearing behind her with a lily pad on his head.

"And _I _am _Chazz_!" Chazz said, standing naked on the rock, exposed to them all, causing Jaden to put one hand over her face. "King of the rock! And there's nothing you girls can do about it!"

Aster and Jim rolled their eyes at one another.

"Oh yeah? Well, I think Yubel and I could take you" Aster said confidently, nudging Jaden with his elbow.

"I really don't wanna take him anywhere" the poor girl muttered, trying to move away.

But Aster came over to her, looking shocked.

"Yubel, we have to fight!" he complained, indicating the black haired man on the rock.

"No, we don't" Jaden tried to reason with him. "We could just … close our eyes and … swim around."

Aster rolled his eyes and grabbed onto her, trying to drag her back.

"Come on, don't be such a …" he started to say, but then he gave a yelp of pain and let go of her. "_Ouch_! Something bit me!"

Suddenly, a not very happy blue and white dragon popped up from underneath the water, spluttering and spitting.

"Yuck!" he spat. "What a nasty flavour!"

Jaden didn't say a word, but Aster spotted the dragon - though he didn't think that it was a dragon. Instead …

"_Snake_!" he screamed, swimming away fast.

He rushed over to Jim and Chazz, who were scrambling to get onto the rock.

Seeing her chance, Jaden whistled for Sapphire, who raised his head and walked over to the edge of the water.

The three men were too busy trying to get onto the rock to notice. Jim standing up with Aster and Chazz near enough on top of him.

"Snake! Snake!" Aster screamed.

Sapphire started walking away once Jaden was out of the water, hidden by the horse's body. Atticus had grabbed onto the horse's tail.

On the rock, the three men were sitting in a back-to-back triangle, silhouetted by the moonlight.

"Some king of the rock" Aster muttered.

Then he screamed as Chazz shoved him roughly into the water with one hand.

Jaden wrapped a towel around her body once they were a little bit away from the lake. She sighed, making sure the fabric was in place.

"Boy, that was close" she said sincerely.

Beside her, Atticus had a toothbrush that he was currently squeezing toothpaste onto. He glared at her.

"No" he growled, scrubbing his mouth thoroughly. "That was vile! You owe me big!"

He then squirted a large amount of toothpaste into his mouth and started scrubbing again.

Jaden was squeezing the water out of her hair as she spoke to Sapphire.

"I never want to see a naked man again" she whined.

That was when a whole group of naked men rushed past her, Jaden's eyes wide in total shock as they ran past her into the water, oblivious.

Sapphire stared at them in shock, and then shook his head disapprovingly when they had all passed, Jaden still standing in shock.

Atticus pulled a very not amused face and glared at Jaden.

"Hey, don't look at me, I ain't biting no more butts" he muttered, throwing the toothbrush over his shoulder as he stomped away.

Hazeru - Fun times for Jaden xD

Hera - R&R please


	14. Chapter 13  Feelings

Hazeru - Finally, we can see some feelings!

Hera - It's about time, Hazeru.

Hazeru - We don't know anything about Jesse's feelings yet. But it's time to see some of Jaden's!

Hera - Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 13

Feelings

Dressed and heading towards her tent for the night, Jaden passed by the large tent that was home to the captain. Jesse Andersen. Deep down Jaden thought that he was different from every other man at the camp. She'd never admit that she had a little crush on him. Or maybe even stronger feelings.

She could see Jesse silhouetted in the light from the tent, where she knew candles were lit. She could also see the silhouette of the uppity blonde man, Crowler.

As she passed by, she heard talking and paused.

"You think your troops are ready to fight?" Crowler said in disbelief. "Hah! They would not last a minute against the Fiends!"

Inside the tent, Crowler was pacing up and down in front of the captain.

"They completed their training" Jesse argued.

Crowler stopped in front of him.

"Those boys" he sneered, "are no more fit to be soldiers than you are to be captain!"

Jesse mentally questioned why this man ever got to be the emperor's right hand.

"One the general reads my report, your troops will never see battle!" Crowler said haughtily, indicating the report he had in one hand.

Back outside the tent, Atticus was standing with one ear pressed against the wall of the tent. Syrus stood beside him, both listening to the conversation going on inside. They had both heard Crowler's last remark about the troops not getting to fight.

"Oh no you don't! I worked too hard to get Jaden into this war!" Atticus hissed, glaring at Crowler's silhouetted figure. He turned to Syrus and pointed his thumb at the figure. "This guy's messing with my plan!"

And inside the tent, Jesse stood up and grabbed the blonde man's report, forcing Crowler to look at him.

"We're not finished!" he growled.

"Be careful, captain" Crowler said plainly, removing the bluenette's hand from his report. "The general may be your father, but _I _am the emperor's counsel. And oh, by the way, I got that job on my own." He pulled aside the door of the tent. "You're dismissed!"

Jesse growled at him and walked out of the tent, his hands balled up into fists.

As he exited the tent, Jaden's expression softened. He looked so angry, but there was sadness in that expression, too. As Jesse walked by her, she tried to talk to him.

"Hey, I'll hold him, and you punch!" she said cheerily in her man's voice, pretending to punch her fist against the palm of her hand. Jesse kept walking and she gulped. "Or not."

Jesse continued walking and Jaden followed him for a few steps.

"For what it's worth" she called, "I think you're a great captain."

Her voice had grown softer as she'd spoke, more like her natural voice than the one she put on to pretend to be a male.

Jesse paused momentarily to glance over his shoulder at the young brunette who'd just spoken. Yubel sure was hard to figure out! But he kept walking, too angry to speak with the brunette.

Jaden stood still, watching the bluenette go with a dreamy smile on her face. He was the first guy she'd ever had feelings like this for.

Unfortunately, this didn't go unnoticed by someone.

"I saw that" came the small dragon's voice.

"What?" Jaden asked, glancing nervously at the dragon and cricket at her feet.

"You _like _him, don't you?" Atticus said teasingly, arms folded.

"No, I …" Jaden started.

"Yeah, right, yeah, sure" Atticus babbled, before standing straight and pointing off to the right. "Go to your tent!"

Jaden sighed softly and turned, letting a small smile for the bluenette cross her features before walking off to her tent.

Atticus and Syrus still stood there, though. The dragon turned to the small cricket and grinned.

"I think it's time we took this war into our own hands" he said, rubbing his hands together with glee.

He then took off to the large tent and pressed himself against its wall, Syrus beside him, both lying in wait.

Hazeru - Me thinks that Atticus has a plan!

Hera - R&R please


	15. Chapter 14  The Plan

Hazeru - Now we see what Atticus is planning!

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 14

The Plan

Atticus and Syrus had to wait merely minutes before Crowler emerged from the tent, wrapped in a fluffy yellow towel with another towel over his hair, wearing matching yellow slippers. He carried a brush in one hand and slung another fluffy towel over one shoulder. He then walked away from the tent, humming to himself.

Atticus and Syrus took that moment to slip inside the tent. Atticus beckoned to the cricket to follow him and dashed inside, leaving a confused cricket outside - until a clawed dragon's hand shot out and pulled him by the antennas into the tent.

Inside the tent, Atticus studied a picture of a happy looking Crowler shaking hands with the bored looking Emperor Shepherd, carefully studying the image, while Syrus tapped out the letter he was writing.

The small cricket was standing in a pool of ink and then jumping up and down on the paper, making small prints that formed words with each new tap. Once he finished, he stepped off the paper and smiled smugly, waiting for his deserved praise. The dragon, with a grin on his face as always, grabbed the letter.

"Okay, lemme see what ya got!" Atticus grinned.

He then started reading out sections of the letter, babbling a bit and reading in a bored voice, while Syrus dried off his tiny feet, smiling all the while.

Eventually, Atticus lowered the letter from his face and smiled falsely at the cricket.

"That's great, except that you forgot, 'and since we're out of pot pourri, perhaps you wouldn't mind bringing up some?'" the dragon mocked, and then he growled at the cricket. "_HELLO_? This is the _army_!" he screamed in Syrus' face, crumpling up the letter as he spoke. "Make it sound more urgent please! You know what I'm talking about?"

With a frightened expression, Syrus saluted the dragon, jumped back into the ink to wet his feet with it, and then began jumping on a fresh piece of paper. He tried this time to make it sound more urgent.

This letter was going to be given to Crowler, who would believe it was sent by General Jehu for backup, and the troops under Jesse Andersen's control would have to go and back them up. This was Atticus' plan.

Atticus stood over Syrus like a jailer.

Syrus tapped out the message and Atticus read it over quickly, grinning.

"That's better, much better. Let's go!" he declared, grabbing the paper - consequently sending poor Syrus flying - and running off.

Outside Jaden's tent, Sapphire was drinking water when he heard a cocky voice coming from behind him.

"Heifer, baby!" the voice sang. Sapphire turned around to see Atticus and Syrus standing on his baby. Atticus grinned at him. "Hey, we need a ride!" he said with a wink.

Sapphire, not Atticus' biggest fan, spat out the water in his mouth on the dragon, sending the small dragon flying off him and onto the ground. He then looked at the aqua coloured cricket, who raised two hands (or front legs) up to show he meant no harm, before jumping off the horse to join Atticus.

Their plan wasn't going all that well just yet. Of course, Atticus was Atticus, and he had already devised a Plan B.

He just needed to get together what he needed first.

Hazeru - Sapphire has the right idea! Atticus always causes trouble!

Hera - Hope he knows what he's doing.

Hazeru - Find out what "Plan B" is next chapter!

Hera - R&R please!


	16. Chapter 15  Urgent News

Hazeru - Another chapter, sorry it's a little late :(

Hera - Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 15

Urgent News

In the clean lake close by the camp site, Crowler stalked huffily out of the water, his broken slippers clutched in one hand and an unhappy look on his face, listening to the jeering and laughter behind him.

"Insubordinate ruffians!" he grumbled, and then he turned around to shout, "you men owe me a new pair of slippers!"

He started to walk away from the river.

"And I do not squeal like a girl" he muttered, his slippers stretched out in front of him as they were soaking wet.

It was then that a panda reached forward with its mouth and clamped his slippers between its teeth, brining them in to eat them. Crowler let out a squeal, exactly like a girl's.

The rider of the panda - yes, someone riding on a panda, it was unusual to say the least and Crowler was surprised by it - was a large, bulky man who wore armour and had an aqua coloured nose.

If Crowler had been slightly smarter, he would have noticed the pieces of straw sticking out of the dummy, and the fact that the nose and eyes of the 'man' were the body of a cricket, and that the dummy's movements were being controlled by the dragon crouched behind it, out of sight and controlling the large puppet.

But Crowler noticed none of this.

"Urgent news from the general" Atticus growled, making his voice deeper, as he used the dummy's hand to offer the letter - which Syrus and he had planned and wrote - to Crowler, who hesitated. "What's the matter? Never seen a black and white before?"

Crowler studied the panda and rider. He snatched the letter from the rider's hand, but still glared up at him, unconvinced and sure something was wrong.

"Who are you?" he hissed.

"Excuse me? I think the question is who are _you_?" Atticus shouted, hitting Crowler on the nose with the dummy's hand. "We're in a _war_, man! There's no time for stupid questions! I should have your hat for that, snatch it right off your head!" Here he began making sure the panda walked forward, ripping the dummy up at the waist so it turned around to continue facing the puzzled Crowler. "But I'm feeling gracious today, so carry on before I report you!"

The panda crawled up a tree nearby, Atticus having to hold onto the dummy to prevent it falling off and giving away their trick.

His back to the disappearing 'soldier', Crowler read the letter with a half-puzzled, half-annoyed expression on his face. That expression turned, as he read the letter, into an expression of shock.

He turned around, one hand extended, to speak to the soldier who had delivered the letter, but he saw nobody.

Jesse Andersen was sitting in his tent, a little annoyed but calmed down, when suddenly the door of the tent was thrown open, and a hysterical Crowler, dressed only in a towel, burst in.

"Captain! Urgent news from the general!" he informed him. "We're needed at the front!"

From a tree above Jesse's tent, Atticus grinned to himself, pleased thoroughly with his own plan.

"Pack your bags, Syrus, we're moving out!" he grinned.

He and Syrus high-fived in celebration of their victory in fooling Crowler. Their plan had worked. The soldiers were going to war!

Atticus might just make Jaden a war hero, yet.

Hazeru - Atticus' plan worked?

Hera - You're the author, you should know.

Hazeru - It's what happened. The luck won't last.

Hera - We'll see. R&R please


	17. Chapter 16  A Girl Worth Fighting For

Hazeru - This chapter contains a song.

Hera - It's the last song in this fic, so we hope you like it.

Hazeru - It was hard to write.

Hera - Anyway, we hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 16

A Girl Worth Fighting For

The weary soldiers of the Imperial Army were marching up yet another snow covered mountain. Only the captain and the uppity blonde advisor had horses. Jaden's own horse was being used to pull a cart full of canons that would aid them in war. The men trudged up the hill, singing to keep their spirits alive, otherwise they would fall into great tiredness and possible depression.

_For a long time we've been marching off to battle_, the troops sang.

Chazz walked along, his arms hanging limply by his sides.

_In our thundering herd, we feel a lot like cattle_, he sang.

Nearby cows looked up at them.

The soldiers continued together as they trudged up a steep slope.

_Like a pounding beat, our aching feet aren't easy to ignore._

Jim and Chazz were plodding along miserably, Jaden close behind them, when Aster sudden ran up and threw his arms merrily around their soldiers.

"Hey!" he called.

_Think of instead, a girl worth fighting for, _he sang.

A look of happiness spread across the faces of Chazz and Jim. Jaden, slightly confused, just stared at them.

"Huh?" she asked in confusion.

Aster jumped up and wrapped one arm casually around her soldiers.

_That's what I said. A girl worth fighting for_! Aster sang.

He then proceeded to sing about his ideal girl, the whole army getting into it.

_I want her paler than the moon, _Aster sang, _with eyes that shine like stars_.

_My girl will marvel at my strength_, Chazz added. _Adore my battle scars_!

_I couldn't care less what she'll wear or what she looks like, _Jim sang._ It all depends on what she cooks like beef, pork, chicken_.

By this point the soldiers were wading through a waist-high lake, all carrying their swords above their heads to prevent them from getting wet. The cold water chilling them to the bone, but their song distracted them.

Chazz turned to Jaden and winked at her.

_Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer_, he sang.

Jaden ignored him and so missed that as song as he finished his line of the song, he slipped on a slippery underwater rock and fell into the water. His weight impaled on the water caused a poor unfortunate fish to be thrown out of the water into Jim's hand. He caught it and smiled.

Aster meanwhile was getting out of the water. The water had swelled up into his armour, making it seem like he had huge, impressive muscles.

_And I'll bet the ladies love a man in armour_, he sang, squeezing the water out of his suit so that he turned back to his normal skinny frame.

_You can guess what we have missed the most since we went off to war._

There were women gathering the reeds from another nearby lake, and they noticed the passing soldiers' song. Some of the soldiers called and waved, and Atticus - from his position on the cart alongside Syrus - wolf-whistled at them. Jaden glanced back at him, unimpressed. Jaden covered her face in embarrassment from the women who thought it had been her, and the girls in the water giggled.

_What do we want? _Aster called.

_A girl worth fighting for_, the rest of the soldiers sang back.

Jaden walked away from Chazz, who was following her, singing, _My girl will think I have no faults._

She walked into Jim.

_That I'm a major find_, Jim sang.

He, Chazz and Aster held their hands out to Jaden, indicating that she should sing a little, and she struggled to come up with anything.

_How 'bout a girl who's got a brain? Who always speaks her mind? _Jaden sang awkwardly in her man's voice.

"Nah" the other three said at the same time.

Aster put his arm around Jaden again and pulled her over to him, flexing his muscles to try and 'educate' her.

_My manly ways and turn of phrase are sure to thrill her_, Aster sang.

Jaden jumped away from him. Chazz grabbed her in an almost friendly manner by the front of her shirt and pulled her in so he could sing softly.

_He thinks he's such a lady-killer_, Chazz sang.

He slapped Sapphire, who started to walk very quickly at the action. Aster, who had been leaning against the stationary wheel of the cart, fell down into a small puddle of mud.

As they moved up a snowy slope, Crowler decided to join in on the singing.

_I've a girl back home who's unlike any other,_ he sang smugly, looking back to see the reaction of the soldiers.

Chazz sang softly to Jaden in a bored tone.

_Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother._

Jaden grinned and Crowler scowled back at them.

The soldiers continued their song and march, coming to a flat piece of the mountain still covered in the white snow.

But when we come home in victory they'll line up at the door, they sang.

Chazz hurried over to join them, as he had been making a multitude of snowmen that were all sculpted into the shape of lush women.

Bursting through the trees, Aster continued the song he had started, whilst seated on Jim's shoulders.

_What do we want? _Aster sang.

_A girl worth fighting for, _some other soldiers sang.

A group of them wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders to walk in a line of song, Jaden getting caught up uncomfortably in the middle of it.

_Wish that I had … _Aster sang.

_A girl worth fighting for_, the soldiers finished for him.

Jaden slipped out of the link and moved backwards, whistling in time to the song along with the others. She came face-to-face with Aster, Chazz and Jim, who all held snowballs in their hands. Jaden turned around and they all raised their hands in preparation to throw them playfully at Jaden, but they stopped.

_A girl worth fighting …_

The soldiers all stopped singing. Everyone stared in shock at the sight that had met their eyes.

They were at the camp where the soldiers led by General Jehu, Jesse Andersen's father, had been set up.

There were rough structures of various tents still standing, all charred and broken, a sign of fire and war. The sky wasn't a peaceful blue here. It seemed red, like it had been tainted by blood.

Although the ground was coated with a thick blanket of snow, there were small fires burning still, and the remains of the buildings gave room for nothing but misery.

All the soldiers stood motionless, nobody daring to speak. They all stared at the remains of the camp, wondering what had happened.

Hazeru - I hate writing songs in fics like these. I'm not very good at it, so sorry about that.

Hera - We hope you could understand it well enough.

Hazeru - Anyway, what's happened at the camp?

Hera - R&R please


	18. Chapter 17  The Emperor's Last Hope

Hazeru - Here's another chapter, guys.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 17

The Emperor's Last Hope

Jaden closed her eyes briefly to hide her pain at seeing the destroyed village or campsite, whichever it had been before. The ruined, charcoaled structures were burning and collapsing around them even now, although the force of the destruction was long gone.

The soldiers started to move through the ruined village, all looking around for any signs of life.

Staring out of the cart, Atticus looked horrified at the destruction. He had never known that seeing such a thing would have such an impact on his heart. He knew from the look on her face that Jaden felt the same. Syrus closed his eyes and turned his head away from the red sky and ruined buildings.

Drawing up his horse, Jesse Andersen rode past Jaden and her friends - Jim, Chazz ad Aster - and stopped to talk to them and some other soldiers.

"Search for survivors" he told them, before heading off in another direction.

Jaden pat Sapphire on the nose to tell him to stay in the one place and then reluctantly starting walking off. The soldiers spread out to cover the area of the ruined village, all of them moving through the destruction and wondering what had happened.

Jesse's horse got a bit of a fright when a blackened piece of wood, that had once held up somebody's home, fell and nearly hit him. The bluenette ran his fingers soothingly over the horse's neck, not wanting to look at the destruction.

Nearby, Jaden moved into another structure. Lying on the snowy ground inside that structure was a small doll. Although she didn't know it, that was the doll that the Supreme King had held earlier, and had left here as a mark of victory.

Jaden picked up the doll, a little girl's toy, and held it to her heart, silently praying for the child that had once played with the doll, who she was sure was now dead.

Next to her, a horse stopped, and Jesse climbed off.

He moved to stand beside and slightly in front of Jaden.

"I don't understand" he said quietly. "My father should have been here."

Jaden looked silently at him, wondering what to say, but there wasn't the chance for her to offer any words to the man she thought so highly of.

"Captain!" came the cry from Crowler.

Jesse moved to stand beside the blonde man, who had a look of horror on his face, and Crowler silently pointed at a lower level on the mountain.

Lying there, were hundreds of dead soldiers.

Each one had armour and blood, all lying limply on the snow. Several proud flags lay in the snow, deserted, as their holders had died.

Jesse stared open-mouthed at the scene before him, knowing that the soldiers he was looking at had been the soldiers in his father's army.

Suddenly, Jim started walking towards him, coming up the hill. In one arm, he carried a very familiar helmet.

"The General" he said sadly, handing the helmet to Jesse.

It was indeed the helmet that General Jehu had been wearing. It was a sure sign to everyone that the general, Jesse's father, had been killed.

Jesse took the helmet and looked at it for a few moments, the last link he had to his father.

He then walked off in another direction, nobody following him.

Jaden, Chazz and Aster then walked up to stand beside Jim and Crowler, the three now seeing the dead bodies lying on the snow.

Jaden tried not to let her tears escape her eyes. Aster looked upset and Chazz stood open-mouthed at the scene. None of them were professional soldiers, just conscripted recruits. They hadn't been prepared for the death in the numbers they were now witnessing.

Jaden looked away from it all, over to Jesse, who was standing on a separate part of the snowy cliff, perfectly motionless.

Her heart felt heavy with sympathy for him. It really did. He'd lost his father out here, and she was only here herself because she was protecting her father. If it had been her father that had died, she would've been in tears on the ground.

She watched as Jesse drew his sword and stabbed it firmly into the ground. He got to his knees and placed his father's helmet on top of the sword's handle. He then bowed to the memorial, like all people did to their ancestors graves.

Jaden came up behind him. She wanted to say something. She wanted to say so much to him, but most of it she couldn't say, because he didn't know she was a girl. So she said the only thing that could be said.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was her own, undisguised.

Jesse didn't answer, but he got to his feet. He then started walking back over to the rest of the troops, stopping momentarily to put his hand on Jaden's shoulder. Inwardly, she knew that she would remember the moment when he touched her in a friendly manner, but outwardly, she just held his gaze.

Jesse then walked past her and over to the rest of the troops, getting onto his horse. He still, after all, had a job to do, and doing that job was the best way he could think of to honour his father's memory. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking to the soldiers, making sure his voice was strong and steady.

"The Fiends are moving quickly" he said. "We'll make better time to the Imperial City through the South Eastern pass. We're the only hope for the emperor now."

The soldiers just stared at him, terrified for themselves, sorry for all the soldiers that were dead already at the hands of the Fiends.

"Move out" Jesse called, and they began to walk away, into the South Eastern pass, in the same direction they knew the Fiends had gone.

In the cart, Atticus and Syrus looked despairingly at each other, lowering their heads.

Meanwhile, as the troops walked away, Jaden stood still, and looked at the doll that was still in her hands.

She moved over to the sword that Jesse had put down with General Jehu's helmet on top. Kneeling down before it, she placed the little girl's doll on the snow, leaning against the sword, and bowed slightly to it.

She then got up and forced herself not to cry, following the other soldiers into the South Eastern pass.

The only one there to watch her go was the doll, the artificial hair flowing in the wind.

Hazeru - Aw, Jehu's been killed by Haou's army :(

Hera - It happens. Poor Jesse, though.

Hazeru - I know!

Hera - R&R please


	19. Chapter 18  The Fiends' Ambush

Hazeru - Here's another chapter, now we see some of the Fiends.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 18

The Fiends' Ambush

The soldiers had made it into the South Eastern pass and were trudging through the snow. Under Jesse's instructions, they were all being very quiet, doing nothing to show any possible Fiends that they were they. They didn't want to be caught, because if they lost the element of surprise, it would be harder to take on the massive Fiend army with their own small recruited army.

Jesse hadn't spoken a word since he had ordered them all to be quiet, and not just because of the rule. He and Jehu had been close, and there was no telling what he was going to do to the Fiends if he got the chance.

Jaden, meanwhile, was leading Sapphire along by the reins. He was pulling a cart that contained the cannons, which had to be heavy, and Jaden was walking at his reasonably slow pace.

With a sudden blast, a cannon, steadily on fire, shot out of the cart - causing Jaden to jump - and into the sky, exploding with a bang and leaving red dust in its wake.

Jaden turned around and glared into the cart, where she saw a wide-eyed, guilty looking Atticus, pointing wordlessly to Syrus accusingly.

Then, Jesse rode up to stop his horse in front of Jaden.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"Eh …" Jaden stammered.

"You just gave away our position!" Jesse growled. "Now they're …"

He didn't get the chance to finish, because that was when an arrow hit him on the shoulder and knocked him clear off the horse.

Jaden turned around in shock to see a sudden hail of arrows soaring down from the top of the snowy mountains which surrounded the pass.

That was where the Fiends were! It was an ambush!

"Get out of range!" Jesse called, pulling the arrow out of his armour and getting to his feet - thankfully the arrow had pierced only his clothing, not his flesh.

The soldiers, running in all directions and some screaming, all started running in the same direction - towards a huge rock with a steep slope. They could hide under that slope, away from the hail of arrows.

The Fiends began to fire arrows that were lit with flames. As she struggled to get the horse and cart to safety, one of the flaming arrows hit near Jaden and one managed to get into the cart. More followed.

Atticus looked out and then gasped as he saw many flaming arrows coming towards him, and he ducked away from them until he was pressed up against the wall, an flaming arrow centimetres above his head, an arrow either side of him, and even an arrow between his legs.

Jaden started struggling with the now flaming cart. Jesse turned around.

"Save the cannons!" he ordered.

All the soldiers began passing cannons down to the front, one by one, except for Jim, who simply grabbed a load of them in his arms and ran with them towards the safety point. He was the only one there who could carry so many.

The cart was up in flames, and Jaden drew here sword - immediately thankful for the time she'd had to practice with it - and cut the beams and reins which attached the cart to the horse. She then jumped onto Sapphire and began riding down to join the other soldiers, still carrying her sword in one hand.

Behind her the cart exploded, the force of that explosion sending Jaden flying off her horse, she and Sapphire tumbling onto the ground. She then heard a frantic scream and looked up just in time to see Atticus flying out of the cart to land just in front of her - she didn't even notice the poor aqua coloured cricket that landed next to him.

"Oh sure, save the horse!" Atticus mumbled sarcastically to her, before collapsing into the snow.

Pulling a face at her 'guardian', Jaden grabbed her sword in one hand and the dragon in her other hand, and began running towards the safety point, Sapphire next to her, and an unhappy cricket squeaking after her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the troops had the cannons set up ready to hit the Fiends.

"Fire!" Jesse called, and they did.

A whole group of the Fiends got hit the blast as about eight cannons hit around the same spot, leaving a smoky, red cloud behind them.

Jim ran over to get more cannons from where they were piled up against a small sloping rock, and when they were removed, Crowler was revealed, shrieking and cowering under the rock away from the war going on.

By now, Jaden had reached them and was setting up her own cannon as she had practised during the training.

"Fire!" Jesse called again, and the soldiers obeyed.

All the cannons soared off into the distance, some hitting their target and others missing completely. It was then that they noticed two things - how little cannons they had and how many Fiends there were.

When the cannons exploded, they left a smoky cloud behind then, obscuring the Fiends from view, but the Fiends did not attack them back.

"Hold the last cannon!" Jesse said to Chazz, who - as it happened - had the last cannon and was preparing to set it off.

Chazz sat in wait for the Fiends, ready to set off the cannon to kill them.

The army stood still, no sound was heard, and they were all intently watched the snowy hill above them, still lightly coated with clouds at the top. Jaden frowned at it, not quite understanding. Where had the Fiends gone?

When the clouds cleared, they revealed a lone figure on a horse, and his appearance sent a chill through Jaden's blood.

He was heavily clad in armour, black with gold trim, and had a red cape around his shoulders. His helmet was open and although she couldn't see his face clearly, Jaden was sure there was something odd about his eyes.

As they watched, more and more Fiends walked up behind him, all of them on horses. Jesse's army had three horses in total, two of which were now dead, only Jaden's horse Sapphire surviving. The Fiends all had their own.

A massive army now stood above them, creating an unholy noise.

Jesse turned to face his own small army.

"Prepare to fight" he said firmly, the soldiers drawing their swords. "If we die, we die with honour."

Suddenly, the man leading the army - the one Jaden now realised must be Haou - drew his sword and began charging down the hill towards them, the rest of his army soon following, leaving him a bit ahead of them.

Jaden and the other soldiers stood in wait as they watched the huge army running towards them, none convinced that they could take such a massive attack.

Hazeru - Seeing the Fiend army running towards you would be scary, right?

Hera - Especially when there's loads of them and none of you. Poor Jaden and all the other soldiers.

Hazeru - Hope this was okay, next chapter up soon.

Hera - R&R please


	20. Chapter 19 Jaden's Plan

Hazeru - Here's another chapter, guys.

Hera - Who's still following this, anyway?

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 19

Jaden's Plan

The Fiends charged down the snowy slope, the hooves of their horses sending sprays of snow into the air. Jesse's army stood their ground, knowing charging up the hill to meet them was pointless and would tire them out. The Fiend army would come to them and none of the soldiers believed they stood much of a chance.

But that didn't mean they weren't going out fighting and they all clutched their swords, ready to defend themselves.

Chazz still had the last cannon.

"Chazz, aim the cannon at the Supreme King" Jesse told him.

Chazz began to position the cannon, determined that he was going to hit the leader of the Fiend army head on.

As he was positioning the cannon, Jaden looked down at her sword - her father's sword, really - and caught sight of the reflection of another mountain of ice in its blade. She looked up.

The tall peak of ice was above the Fiend army, and slanted towards them. It looked unstable, if something would hit it hard enough it would fall. And given its angle, it would fall towards the approaching Fiend army.

Jaden started to work out a plan in her head, and before she knew what she was doing, she had put her sword back in its sheath. She then elbowed Chazz out of the way.

"Hey!" he growled.

Jaden ignored him and grabbed the cannon. She started running up the hill towards the army running down.

"Yubel, come back!" Jesse called to her. "Yubel!"

But Jaden was charging up the hill, carrying the cannon, with a very confused looking Atticus on one shoulder.

The Fiend army was getting closer, Haou quite a bit ahead. Now they were closer, his faithful bird of prey - a vicious creature, they'd heard - could be seen circling over the army.

"Stop!" Jesse called to Jaden again, starting to run after her. She was in his command and he didn't want to let her just kill herself. Towards the young 'man' he knew as Yubel, Jesse had become quite attached, although he would never show it. He was very fond of her.

Once again, Jaden ignored him calling to her. She knelt down in the snow and positioned the cannon to face the tall peak of snow and ice.

The Supreme King was fast approaching.

"All right, you might want to light that right about now!" Atticus hissed impatiently as Jaden struggled get sparks from two stones rubbed together. "Quickly, quickly!"

Jaden had almost got the sparks when Haou's bird let out a screech and flew into her face, knocking Jaden back and the stones out of her hands. She lay momentarily in the snow before getting up and searching for the stones on her knees, the Supreme King approaching fast.

Back with the other soldiers, Chazz was impatient. He was missing out on it all.

"Come on!" he called, deciding it could be his battle-cry. "We gotta help!"

He, Aster and Jim started charging up the hill after Jaden and Jesse.

Jaden was still looking for the stones, and any minute Haou would reach her. She then looked at Atticus, who got what her stare meant and turned to run, but he was too late - she had grabbed him.

She pulled back on the small dragon's body, causing him to let out a small flame from his mouth - enough to light the cannon's short fuse.

Unfortunately for Atticus, when Jaden let go of him he landed on top of the cannon.

So when the cannon took off with an almighty blast, he went flying into the air with it.

The Supreme King was almost right beside Jaden, and he was surprised that she had missed hitting him, when he was such a close and easy target. He wouldn't have let himself get hit, but still, the soldier had missed.

"You missed!" Atticus called, voice dimming as he rose into the air. "How could you miss? He was three feet in front of you!"

Finally the cannon hit the ice, and Jaden grinned. Haou turned around and a look of shock crossed his normally expressionless features as he saw the huge peak of ice starting to tumble down onto his army.

The Fiends started shouting, beginning to make their horses run faster in an attempt to outrun the avalanche.

The Supreme King growled at Jaden and thrust his sword at her. She jumped out of the way, but she wasn't quite quick enough. She felt the blade graze at her side, but it wasn't going to stop her.

She got up and started to run, fast since she was running downhill.

The Supreme King couldn't follow her immediately because he had to regain control of the startled horse before they could run forward, not really chasing Jaden - it was one soldier - but because the snow was overcoming the Fiends in the back of the army and was fast approaching the rest.

Jesse was stood, stunned, not far from Jaden. He watched the snow falling and almost missed that Jaden ran right to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him with her as she ran. Jaden wasn't going to let him stand there and get hurt. They ran together back towards the rest of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, Chazz, Jim and Aster were still running towards them, shouting victorious-sounding cheers. Then they all froze simultaneously, seeing the snow. They turned and ran back the way they had come, shouting differently as they retreated.

Sapphire, Jaden's horse, finally broke away from his restraints. He jumped over a slanted rock and ran past Jim, Chazz and Aster, and towards his mistress.

Meanwhile, the Supreme King's army had been overcome by the snow, buried by the sheer amount. Soon, Haou himself was overtaken by it, becoming buried under the screeds of the snow.

Sapphire had reached Jaden and Jesse. Jaden stopped running and jumped onto the horse's back. She reached out her hand for Jesse to take. He did, but the snow reached them then. It knocked their hands apart, causing Jesse to fly away from them. Jaden's balance was lost and she and the horse went tumbling in the snow.

Hazeru - Will the snow actually be enough to kill Haou?

Hera - Highly doubt it.

Hazeru - So true. And Jaden's been cut, will she be okay? And she and Jesse are caught in the snow?

Hera - Stop asking questions you know the answer to. R&R please!


	21. Chapter 20  Lucky Escape

Hazeru - Here's the next chapter.

Hera - Thanks for those people who are following this story, we love you :D

Hazeru - There WILL be Spiritshipping properly later, don't worry.

Hera - Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 20

Lucky Escape

The snow began to rise, and as it did, the expressions on the faces of Jim, Aster and Chazz grew more and more shocked. The three started running again, running to jump behind a huge slanted rock. The rest of the soldiers were hidden underneath. The rock was sloped so the snow would go over it and pass over them, letting them not be caught in it. Just a few metres in front of the large rock was a huge drop of a cliff.

Chazz and Jim made it safely over the rock, and Aster managed to trip on the way there. He got back up instantly and leaped over the rock and was almost carried away by the force of the snow, but Jim caught him in time and pulled him back.

The soldiers, and Crowler, huddled together and watched the snow pour over the cliff's edge, unforgiving in its force.

Meanwhile …

"Jaden!" Atticus called! The dragon was travelling down on top of the rushing snow, on a shield, searching for the female. "Jaden!"

He spotted a tuft of brown hair poking out of the snow.

"Jaden?" he said hopefully, yanking it up.

An angry, brown haired fiend yelled. Atticus pushed the head back under the snow.

"Nope" he said. He scanned around again and called. "Jaden!"

Travelling down the snow at a fast pace, Atticus spotted two antennas poking up through the snow, and he grinned, reaching out to pull up the owner.

Syrus hung limp in Atticus hand by his antennae.

"Man, you are one lucky bug" Atticus grinned.

And the two continued down the snowy route, looking for Jaden.

Further down towards the others, Jaden managed to get the horse to break free of the hold of the snow, and she fought against its force. But then she looked back, and saw that Jesse had been knocked unconscious and was being carried away by the force of the snow. There was a cliff in the same direction.

"Jesse!" she called, turning the horse to follow him. Reaching the unconscious captain, she pulled him up onto the horse and lay him in front of her.

Meanwhile, Aster, Chazz and Jim were trying to find Jesse and Jaden.

Jim had Aster on his shoulders, and Aster had Chazz on his shoulders. Chazz had a bow and arrow - the arrow tied with a long piece of rope - in his hands.

"Do you see them?" Jim called to Chazz. He heard Chazz gasp a little.

"Yes" Chazz shouted.

Chazz aimed the bow and arrow at the horse, that he could see was carrying both Jaden and Jesse, and fired it towards them. They would catch the arrow and he would pull them over to the safety of the rock.

His aim was spot on.

"Perfect" Chazz grinned. "Now I'll pull them to …" his voice trailed off as the rope the arrow was attached to passed by him without him catching it, "…safety."

Jaden was still struggling with the horse in the force of snow. She knew that if she didn't do something they were all going to go over the edge of the unforgiving cliff and they would be killed.

A shield, that she noticed was carrying Atticus the dragon, suddenly arrived at her side, and Atticus grinned up to her, holding out his hand to show her a cricket bug.

"Hey, Jaden!" he called. "I found the lucky cricket!"

"We need help" Jaden reasoned.

Suddenly, an arrow landed next to the horse in the snow. She grabbed it quickly and tied the end of the rope attached to it to the saddle of the horse.

Jaden grabbed her own bow and started to angle the arrow with it, difficult when the horse was being carried away by the force of the snow.

Atticus carried Syrus onto the horse and sat down just behind Jaden.

"Nice" Atticus said gently, setting Syrus down beside him. "Very nice, you can sit beside me."

Then, he and the cricket spotted the cliff.

They screamed in terror.

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Atticus screamed in panic. "That's it, no way are we surviving this! Death is coming!"

The horse went over the edge, and Jaden fired the arrow from the bow.

On the top of the cliff, Jim and Aster looked sadly at Chazz, who was truly unhappy with himself. He held out his hands to show they were useless.

"I let them slip through my fingers!" he said sadly.

At that moment, his expression changed from sad to shocked, because an arrow - the same one he'd fired earlier - landed in his hands. The rope was still attached to it.

And Chazz went flying off his feet, getting dragged to the edge of the cliff.

A bunch of soldiers, including Aster, jumped onto Chazz to keep him from going over the edge. Well, at least they had got the arrow.

Chazz was half hanging off the side of the cliff, and the soldiers were bunched together, not having the strength to lift two people and a horse on their own, though they were managing to keep them from falling.

Suddenly, with a calm expression, Jim walked up behind them. He lifted his long arms around them and stepped back, walking backwards and taking the rest of the soldiers with him. The others had mixed expressions, especially Chazz, whose hands were held out in front of him, gripping the arrow fiercely.

Jaden and the horse were being pulled up. Her improvising skills had saved them! Jaden kept one hand on the rope and used her free hand to gently stroke Jesse's back soothingly. He wasn't conscious yet, but they were okay now.

Atticus cheered.

"I knew we could do it! You're the man!" Atticus cheered. "Well, sort of."

Jaden grinned at him, half jokingly.

The horse jumped onto a lower ledge and trotted up onto safety, while Chazz and Aster pulled Jesse and Jaden onto the safety of flat ground. The soldiers crowded around them in a huddle as Jesse started to wake up.

"Step back, guys, give them some air" Aster said, and they all obeyed.

Jesse turned to face the soldier sitting beside him, both panting slightly.

"Yubel" he said. "You are the craziest man I ever met!"

Jaden looked down, but then back up at the green eyes she liked so much as she felt Jesse put his hand on her shoulder and smile at her. A genuine smile.

"And for that I owe you my life" Jesse said. "From now on, you have my trust."

Jaden could only smile at him.

Then, cheers erupted around them.

"Let's hear it for Yubel!" Aster cried. "The bravest of us all!"

"You're king of the mountain!" Chazz grinned.

Cheers continued as Jaden and Jesse stood up, but then Jaden let out a gasp of pain and fell to her knees, her hand wrapped around the wound on her side. She could feel it really badly, now, where Haou had cut her. Jesse crouched down in front of her.

"Yubel? What's wrong?" he asked.

Jaden gasped a little, and removed her hand from her side, showing the bloody stain on her clothes and the blood on her pale fingers.

Jesse gasped.

"He's wounded! Get help!" he shouted, the soldiers obeying him.

Jaden looked up, her vision going blurry. She could make out the figure of Jesse in front of her, and the figures of Jim, Chazz and Aster behind him.

"Yubel, hold on" Jesse said softly. His lips were the last thing she focused on, before she fell unconscious, as they whispered again, "hold on."

Hazeru - Will Jaden be okay? At least Jesse was :D

Hera - Sorry if it seemed rushed.

Hazeru - Hope it was okay.

Hera - R&R please


	22. Chapter 21  The Masquerade Is Over

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 21

The Masquerade Is Over

Set up on the snow on the same hill the Fiends had been buried under sat what was left of the Imperial army. Chazz, Jim and Aster looked expectantly at the lone tent set up there, worried looks on their faces. Jim patted Chazz on the back, much to Chazz's disgust.

Jesse was pacing around in front of the tent impatiently.

Inside the tent, a doctor was putting bandages on Jaden. All the soldiers were anxious to know if their new hero was going to be alright.

After a few minutes of Jesse's frantic pacing, the door of the tent was thrown open and a short, stocky man - the doctor - exited the tent. Jesse stopped and looked at him expectantly, but the doctor had a strange expression. He leaned up to Jesse to whisper in his ear, being a bit shorter, and told him of his discovery.

The soldiers watched as Jesse's expression turned to one of shock.

Beside the tent, crouched out of sight, Atticus gasped, as did the cricket next to him. The doctor had, of course, undressed Jaden. And he'd just given away her secret to the captain!

Jesse walked into the tent, out of sight to the rest of the soldiers.

Inside the tent, with a blanket pulled up to her chin, lay Jaden. She opened her eyes when she saw Jesse and sat up, smiling at him. She saw a look of total realisation appear on his face, and glanced down at herself. On the top half of her body she wore nothing but bandages. She gasped and pulled at the blankets, pulling them up to cover herself. She looked up at the bluenette desperately.

"I can explain!" she said.

The tent door was flung open and a startled Crowler appeared, staring at Jaden. When he saw her clearly - the real, female her - he gasped.

"So it's true!" Crowler gasped.

Jesse walked out of the tent, angry.

"Jesse!" Jaden called after him.

Crowler stormed into the tent.

The soldiers outside the tent stood in wait for the news, and were surprised to see Jesse storm out of the tent, a look of mixed disgust and hurt on his features.

A second or two later, the door of the tent was flung open again, and this time Crowler appeared, dragging the injured brunette by the arm.

"I knew there was something wrong with you!" he said, and he pulled at her hair so that it fell out of the style she had pinned it up into. It was still very short, but along with her features and figure, it was now obvious that she was a female.

Everyone gasped.

Crowler threw Jaden to the ground, the brunette grunting a little as she hit the cold snow with force.

"Treacherous snake" Crowler hissed at her.

"My name is Jaden" Jaden said indignantly, clutching the blanket around her still. She turned desperately to Jesse, whose back was to her. "I did it to save my father."

"High treason!" Crowler screeched.

"I didn't mean for it to go this far!" Jaden tried to tell them.

"Ultimate dishonour!" Crowler growled in her ear.

Jaden pulled away from him, ignoring him, and focusing on Jesse.

"It was the only way" she pleaded. "Please, believe me!"

"Humph" Crowler grunted, and he moved to stand next to the still-stunned Jesse. "Captain" he said.

Jesse looked at him in shock, and then realised what he had to do.

It was treason to impersonate a soldier. The penalty was death.

Jesse drew Jaden's own sword from her sheath, that was clipped to Sapphire's saddle.

Jesse ignored Jaden's pleading, pretty features - how had he never noticed it before, she was beautiful? - and started moving towards her, the sword in his hand.

Sapphire went into shock and went to protect Jaden, but Crowler was, unfortunately, way ahead of him.

"Restrain him!" Crowler ordered, and a group of soldiers did.

Atticus gasped and looked at Jaden, terrified. He knew he couldn't stop this from happening, no matter how much he might want to.

Jesse moved towards Jaden, not stopping.

All the other soldiers knew what was going to happen to her.

"No!" Jim, Aster and Chazz gasped, running towards her - but Crowler's held-up hand stopped them.

"You know the law" Crowler reminded them.

The three stopped, staring at the shivering brunette female on the ground.

Jaden looked up as Jesse reached her. Her chocolate eyes met his green ones. She committed them to memory and lowered her head in wait for her execution. She wasn't going to fight. She wasn't in a position to, and if she escaped, she would only be hunted down and brought to 'justice'.

Jesse raised the sword up to strike at her - but the pain Jaden was expecting never came.

She looked down to see her own sword lying in front of her on the snow. Jesse had raised it up, but instead of bringing it down on her neck as he was supposed to, he had thrown it onto the snow in front of her.

Jaden looked up at him in confusion.

"A life for a life" Jesse said coldly. "My debt is repaid."

Jesse turned away from Jaden.

"Move out!" he ordered the troops.

Crowler, still bent on the girl being killed for treason, rushed over to the bluenette.

"But … but you can't just …" Crowler stuttered.

He was stopped when Jesse brought his hand up and grabbed the front of Crowler's shirt, glaring at him with anger.

"I said. Move out!" he growled.

Without another word, Jesse started making his way down the hill. Huffing, Crowler followed him. As did the rest of the unhappy, shocked or reluctant troops.

Jaden watched them go, and then hung her head in despair.

She had been found out. She had brought dishonour to her family.

She had disgraced herself.

Yet again.

Hazeru - She's been found out!

Hera - And Jesse's left, along with the army.

Hazeru - Will she meet up with Jesse again? Are the Fiends all gone for good?

Hera - R&R please


	23. Chapter 22 Regrets And Unwanted Company

Hazeru - Another chapter, getting there.

Hera - Slowly but surely.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 22

Regrets And Unwanted Company

Syrus was making a fire to keep them warm while they sat in the snow, not moving from their position although the rest of the army had long gone. The fire was nothing more than a tiny pile of cricket-sized twigs, and Syrus shivered as he threw more onto the matchstick flame.

Sapphire wrapped the blanket on his back around Jaden, and her cold hands pulled it around her shoulders. He then sat down right behind her so that she could share in his body heat, and Jaden smiled slightly, though her heart wasn't in it. She didn't even notice that a chittering cricket had dived into the blanket and wrapped it around himself, freezing cold.

Beside her, Atticus broke in half a blackened-with-fire arrow.

"I was this close" he said sadly. He showed a tiny amount of space between his thumb and forefinger. "This close! Impress the ancestors, get the top shelf, all the good stuff … man! All my fine work!"

He slouched over to Jaden and stabbed the arrow - the sharp end of it - into a small nut and began to toast it over the tiny flames the cricket had made, a grumpy look on his face. He had been very close to making Jaden a war hero and impressing the ancestors and getting his old job back. Now it had all failed.

"Hi" he muttered to the cold girl next to him.

"I should never have left home" Jaden said miserably.

"Hey, come on. You wanted to save your father's life" Atticus grumbled. "Who knew you'd end up shaming him, disgracing your ancestors and losing all your friends." A look of unhappiness crossed Atticus' face. "You just gotta … gotta learn to let these things go."

Atticus started to cry, mostly out of sympathy for himself, but also some for the girl.

"Maybe I didn't go for my father" Jaden said, obviously unhappy and looking deep within herself. "Maybe what I really wanted was … to prove I could do things right. So that when I looked in the mirror," she said, picking up her shiny helmet and looking at her reflection in it, "I'd see someone worthwhile."

Suddenly her reasonably calm expression was ruined by tears.

"But I was wrong" she said, trying not to cry. "I see nothing."

Jaden threw the helmet away from herself.

Syrus and Sapphire looked at her sympathetically, and Atticus looked up at her with a torn expression on his face. The girl was genuinely miserable. She pulled the thin blanket over herself more tightly. She had gotten properly dressed but still, the snow made it very cold on the mountain.

"Well, that's just cause this needs a little spit, that's all" Atticus said gently, picking up the helmet, spitting on it and rubbing the saliva into the metal to shine it up. "Let me shine this up for ya." He then held it up to Jaden with a grin on his face. "I can see you like it, you look so pretty!"

Jaden turned away miserably. The grin faded from the blue and white dragon's face. He sighed as he looked at his own reflection in the helmet. It was time for confessions and he had his own.

"The truth is we're both frauds" he said, looking away from the helmet and up to Jaden. "Your ancestors never sent me. They don't even like me."

Atticus set the helmet down.

"You risked your life to help the people you love" Atticus said. "I risked your life to help myself. At least you had good intentions."

Jaden smiled sadly at the dragon. She wasn't going to hold a grudge against him for it. Atticus was the closest thing she had to a friend now.

Meanwhile, Syrus jumped off the blanket and onto the helmet. He looked at his own reflection and his eyes let go of their tears. The cricket began to squeak out his confession as he cried hard.

Atticus gasped and grabbed the cricket.

"What! What do you mean you're not lucky?" he said. "You _lied _to me?"

The crying cricket nodded.

Atticus turned to the horse.

"And what are you - a sheep?"

Sapphire grunted at him and Atticus groaned, throwing Syrus over his shoulder to land on the snow.

Jaden wasn't paying attention to this. She was contemplating what to do in her mind, and she knew she had only one real option: to go home.

"I'll have to face my father sooner or later" Jaden said quietly. "Let's go home."

"Yeah. This ain't gonna be pretty" Atticus said unhappily. "But don't you worry, Jaden. Things will work out. We started this thing together, and that's how we'll finish it." He jumped up to give Jaden a hug. "I promise."

Jaden and Atticus hugged while Syrus and Sapphire watched. All of them were getting ready now to leave the tall, snowy mountains and return home.

Little did they know, they were not alone on the mountains.

The bird that had followed the Supreme King was circling over a lower level of the mountain, where the avalanche Jaden had caused had taken placed. As the bird let out a screech, a hand suddenly burst out of the ice.

A figure in armour pulled himself out of the snow with a bit of effort. His golden eyes scanned the area around him, seeing the broken flags and all the torn apart weapons that his Fiends had carried lying scattered around. He knew where his actual army was - buried under the snow.

The Supreme King let out an uncharacteristic shout of anger. It echoed off the other mountains.

On the upper mountain levels, Jaden was getting ready to leave, but she turned when she heard that shout, and walked over to kneel at the side of the mountain so she could look down.

Meanwhile, on the lower levels, a shield was kicking away from a wall of snow, and out jumped a Fiend - the one that carried a bow and arrow.

Two other Fiends were walking over to join the Supreme King, both scratched and wanting revenge.

Another two broke free of the rubble of a cart.

The five remaining members of the Fiend army joined the Supreme King and he looked at the five that were still alive, and evidently still loyal no him. He put out his arm and, with a screech that signalled the start of a new plan, his trusty bird landed on his arm.

Without a word, Haou began to lead the Fiends down the mountains. They all knew where they were going. To the Imperial City, where the emperor was.

On the upper mountain levels, Jaden gasped and began to run back to the horse, grabbing her sword on the way and sliding it into her sheath. She got onto the horse and began to ride in the same direction the Fiends had gone.

"Uh, home is _that _way" Atticus said, pointing in the opposite direction, a look of realisation on his face.

"I have to do something" Jaden argued.

"Did you see those Fiends?" Atticus argued back. "They popped outta the snow! Like daisies!"

"Are we in this together or not?" Jaden said slowly, already having made her decision.

Atticus stopped short, thinking about it. He glanced over at Syrus, who was seated next to him on the snow. Syrus grinned at him and acted out a fighting pose.

A sly grin spread across Atticus' face.

"Let's go kick some Fiend butt!" he cheered.

And he jumped onto the horse with Syrus, and the horse sped away, to the sound of Atticus' cheering.

Hazeru - Haou lives!

Hera - And the Fiends have gone to attack the Imperial City.

Hazeru - Jaden's on her way, but what can she do?

Hera - R&R please


	24. Chapter 23  Celebration Interrupted

Hazeru - Another chapter.

Hera - And the return of Haou.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 23

Celebration Interrupted

The flags and decorations surrounded the centre of the Imperial City. All around the streets people were gathered, celebrating their victory over the Fiend army. In the centre of the city, heading towards the emperor's palace, were the victorious troops.

They walked as part of a huge parade, some carrying flags to show that they were in their country's victorious army. The parade had many attractions besides a glimpse of the troops who had saved China.

People walked on their hands, beat drums, waved flags and played music. The parade had a giant, Chinese dragon walking behind the victorious troops in a smooth, wavy movement. Inside it was being held up by five people, whose legs could only just be seen, but hardly identified.

In front of the army, was a short, stocky man.

"Make way for the heroes of China" he called, presenting to the people the soldiers.

All the people around them, hundreds and thousands of people, cheered them.

Crowler led the parade on his horse, waving to them with a smug grin on his face. Just behind him, on his own horse, was Jesse Andersen. But he didn't look very happy. In fact, Jesse looked pretty miserable, and he kept his eyes down instead of smiling at the crowd.

Behind him walked the soldiers, and leading them were Chazz, Aster and Jim. None of the soldiers looked pleased, and those three looked downright miserable. Aster carried a flag and looked at the ground. Jim and Chazz looked around them, neither of them smiling once, both miserable.

Unnoticed to them, a girl on a horse was cutting through the crowds.

When Jaden spotted the soldiers, she made Sapphire take her over to Jesse.

"Jesse!" she called, getting the horse to walk beside him.

"Jaden?" he gasped, surprised by her presence.

"The Fiends are alive" she told him. "They're in the city!"

Jesse frowned and shook his head.

"You don't belong here, Jaden" he said. "Go home."

He moved his horse past Jaden's. The girl paused momentarily but soon caught up with him again.

"Jesse, I saw them in the mountains!" she pleaded. "You have to believe me!"

"Why should I?" Jesse growled.

Jaden frowned at him, and pulled her horse so that she cut off Jesse, and the rest of the parade.

"Why else would I come back?" she said in a low tone. "You said you trust Yubel. Why is Jaden any different?"

Without answering, Jesse pulled his horse past Jaden's and the rest of the parade followed his lead. Jaden moved out of the way a little, meeting the eyes of her friends - Jim, Chazz and Aster - as they passed with worried looks on their faces. Of course they had heard what she had said to Jesse.

"Keep your eyes open" Jaden told them. "I know they're here."

Then she drew up her horse and moved away from them, leaving the rest of the parade to continue up the stairs of the emperor's palace.

As the soldiers and the Chinese-style dragon following made their way up the stairs of the emperor's palace, drums were beat and fireworks were set off, all in celebration of the country's victory.

Meanwhile, Jaden jumped off her horse and ran into the crowd. Behind her, Atticus groaned a little.

"Now where are you going?" he called after her.

"To find someone who will believe me!" Jaden called back.

Up on the stairs of the palace, the emperor, Shepherd, was making his way down to meet the soldiers, who had gathered around the dragon, which was standing stationary. Jesse stood at the front, and next to him was Crowler. Crowler held the sword of the Supreme King, which had been found by the soldiers as they left. He looked at Jesse and passed the sword over to him, and Jesse held it in preparation.

Shepherd met the soldiers, and the beating of the drums ceased, and great cheers went up from the thousands of people gathered below them. A gong was hit, and silence fell over everyone.

Shepherd stepped forward.

"My children!" he called out. "Heaven smiles down upon our kingdom. China will sleep safely tonight. Thanks to our brave warriors."

Cheering erupted again from everyone listening.

Meanwhile, at the back of the crowd, making her way forward, was Jaden. She grabbed one man's shoulder.

"Sir, the emperor's in danger!" she said, and he pulled away from her. "But the Fiends are here."

She moved to another man.

"Please, you have to help me …"

But he pulled away, too. She turned in annoyance to Atticus.

"No-one will listen!" she said.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?" Atticus said sarcastically.

"Atticus" Jaden moaned.

"Hey, you're a girl again, remember?" the dragon said.

Jaden began making her way through the crowd, determined to warn someone who would believe her that the Fiends were not all dead.

Meanwhile, back with the emperor …

"Your majesty" Jesse said. "I present to you the sword of the Supreme King Haou."

He bowed slightly, offering the sword - laid out on his face-up palms - to the emperor.

Shepherd looked at him intently.

"I know what this means to you, Captain Andersen" he said. "Your father would have been very proud."

Jesse glanced up at him, a little surprised.

Shepherd extended his hands to take hold of the sword, but he was interrupted by a loud screech, and suddenly a beastly looking bird had seized the sword in its talons and snatched it away.

The bird made its way to the roof, where it dropped the sword. An extended hand caught it, and then began to stand up, making his presence known.

All the people in the crowd were staring in stunned silence or shaking their heads in disbelief as the figure came into view. It was a man in black and gold armour, one with a red cape.

Jaden looked a little shocked herself, but soon got it together and began to frown at the figure on the roof. Atticus, sat on her shoulder, looked at her in desperation. The Supreme King was here.

Jesse slowly began to draw his sword, never taking his eyes off Haou.

But then, the dragon behind him was suddenly torn to pieces from the inside. From inside the dragon, the people who had been walking inside it jumped out and their identities were made known. They were revealed now to be the five remaining Fiends.

Jesse drew his sword and used it to defend himself, otherwise he might have been stabbed. However, he was still knocked down.

This gave two of the Fiends enough time to grab the emperor and begin dragging him up the stairs at a fast pace, the other three Fiends following close behind.

Jesse looked up and saw what was happening.

"No!" he cried, grabbing his sword and running up the stairs after them.

"Come on!" Chazz cried, drawing his own sword.

He and Jim and Aster began to run up the stairs after Jesse and the Fiends, the rest of the soldiers following them.

Jesse got to the doors just as they shut, and he banged his fist against them, knowing the Fiends had locked them out of the palace. Who knew what was going to happen to the emperor? Well, of course, he could make a good guess.

If there hadn't been so much noise, the soldiers might have heard the dry, quiet laugh of the Supreme King.

Minutes later, the soldiers were using a large, very heavy, overturned statue - of a lion, as it would happen - to try and break down the door. They were all carrying it, running forward with it and hitting it against the locked doors to try and force them to open.

Behind them, Jaden stood on her own, having run up the stairs after them.

"They'll never reach the emperor in time" she said softly, thinking hard.

She suddenly had an idea. It was vague, but they could get inside!

She ran up to stand alongside the soldiers and gave a piercing whistle. The soldiers all turned to look at her.

"Hey, guys" she called. "I've got an idea!"

She then began to run in another direction, hoping they would follow.

The soldiers all looked at each other. She was a girl, she had lied to them … but she had killed most of the Fiend army. Simultaneously, Jim, Chazz and Aster dropped the statue and began to follow her. Jesse frowned after them, undecided.

Behind the cover of a wall, the three soldiers were getting half-undressed and throwing their armour to Jaden, the four of them preparing to get into character. Jaden's plan depended on it.

Not long afterwards, Jaden stood in a blue, Chinese-style dress, loose and comfortable.

Jim, Chazz and Aster removed their new fans from their a painted-with-heavy-make-up faces. The three were wearing dresses and done up as women!

Chazz wore a red dress, Jim a blue one, and Aster a yellow one.

The four of the 'ladies' went up to the pillars that led up into the palace.

They all removed the sashes from their dress and wrapped it around the pillar. Jaden smiled at them, ready to give the signal, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned around to see Jesse smiling at her.

The bluenette removed his cape from his shoulders and wrapped it around the pillar, amused by the outfits and make-up of Aster., Chazz and Jim.

The four 'girls' smiled at Jesse.

Then the five of them began to make their way up the pillars, using the climbing techniques they had learned during training, Jaden slightly in the lead.

So far, her plan was working. They could get into the palace undetected.

Hazeru - Picture Chazz, Jim and Aster dressed up as girls with the Chinese make-up. I laughed.

Hera - You would. R&R please


	25. Chapter 24  Saving Shepherd

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 24

Saving Shepherd

The doors to the main balcony of the emperor's palace burst open, and two Fiends rushed in, carrying the emperor with them. Shepherd barely struggled against them, there was no point to it.

They stood at the front of the balcony, looking down on all the people who had gathered to celebrate China's victory - that hadn't happened.

Shepherd looked at them wordlessly. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him, one that was hanging down from the roof. He found himself staring into cold, golden eyes and an emotionless face.

"Boo" the figure said without emotion.

Shepherd didn't reply. He had never met this man, but of course he knew who he was. He had never imagined Haou would make an entrance like that - although true to his reputation, his face betrayed no feelings.

Haou jumped onto the balcony in front of the emperor.

"Guard the door" he said to the Fiends, and they ran down the stairs and out the door.

The five Fiends stood now outside the doors, guarding them so that Shepherd could not get away. Haou turned to the emperor.

"Your walls and armies have fallen. And now it's your turn" he said. "Bow to me."

The Supreme King's strength and power had been challenged by this man, and now he would force Shepherd to show that Haou was the stronger of the two.

Meanwhile, outside the doors, a brunette female peeked around the corner, and then turned back so she could whisper to her friends.

"Okay, any questions?" Jaden whispered.

"Does this dress make me look fat?" Chazz muttered.

There was a slap, followed by an "ouch" from Chazz.

The Fiends in front of the door suddenly heard laughter and they all turned to face the laughing people.

"Who's there?" one growled.

Four women appeared. Technically, only Jaden was actually a woman - the other three were dressed up males. But Chazz, Jim and Aster were somehow managing to pull it off. All four 'women' carried a fan in front of their face.

The Fiends lowered their swords, seeing the intruders were hardly a threat.

"Concubines" one Fiend muttered.

"Ugly concubines" another muttered back.

It was true - only one out of the four looked attractive, and that was the brunette.

The four walked up to them, giggling and simpering and waving cutely to the Fiends. They stopped just in front of the five remaining members of Haou's army.

One Fiend waved back a little, and his friend nudged him in disgust.

An apple suddenly rolled out of Aster's dress, and the Fiends looked at him in surprise. He focused on grinning sweetly, having almost given the plan away.

Still hiding behind another pillar - out of the Fiend's sight - was Jesse. He groaned and covered his face as he was seen by the Supreme King's bird. The bird started to screech, but was stopped - by a sudden flame. The flame burned off all the bird's feathers, leaving it rather bald and ugly.

"Now that's what I call Mongolian barbecue" a voice said.

The bird turned to see Atticus and a small cricket smirking at him. Atticus blew a smoke ring around the bird's neck, much to the bird's half-shock and half-embarrassment.

Meanwhile, back with the Fiends …

One Fiend - the one who was earlier waving a little to them - bent down and picked up the apple that Aster had dropped. He smiled and offer it back to him.

With a smirk, Aster pulled another apple out of his dress. At the same time, Chazz pulled an orange and a banana out of his dress. Jim pulled from his dress two watermelons.

The Fiends stared in confusion.

Then Jim stepped over to the two tallest Fiends and smashed a watermelon onto each of their heads. He then bashed their heads together, and watched as the Fiends fell to the ground.

Another Fiend lifted a sword to attack Aster, but Aster shoved an apple into his mouth and then kicked his in the gut. While the Fiend was on his hands and knees on the ground, Aster hit the Fiend's back with his face - much like breaking the blocks back in training. The Fiend collapsed in pain.

Another Fiend was busy trying to punch Chazz, who moved from side to side, dodging the attacks. Chazz, having no interest in the fruit, grabbed his wrist and threw him to the ground in one movement.

Jaden, meanwhile, was facing the Fiend who carried a bow and arrow. He drew back the bow to fire an arrow at her, but she kicked him and knocked him down. Jaden then forced him onto the ground properly, sat on his back and grabbed his bow, using the wire to cut into his throat and making it impossible for him to move.

"Jesse, go!" Jaden called.

Jesse ran forward, past the Fiends and burst through the doors that lead up to the emperor.

Meanwhile, Haou was losing his patience with the emperor, who refused to say one word to him. Haou drew his trademark sword.

"I grow tired of your arrogance, old man" he said, and he pointed the sword at the emperor's throat. "Bow to me!"

Shepherd didn't look at him, he refused to.

"No matter how the wind blows," Shepherd said, "the mountain can not bow to it."

A look of anger grew on Haou's face, and he decided to just end the irritating person.

"Then you will kneel in pieces!" he exclaimed, swinging his sword at the emperor - but his sword was stopped.

Jesse had just broke into the room.

He stopped Haou's sword with his own, and Shepherd moved back a little.

Jesse kicked Haou, and forced him to drop his sword. He went to punch him, but Haou grabbed his wrist and threw him off the balcony. Jesse, however, grabbed onto a pillar and used it to swing himself back around to land a kick on Haou's face.

Jesse managed to knock Haou down and then pin him down on the ground, just as the other four rushed into the room.

"Jim, get the emperor" Jaden called.

Jim faced Shepherd, bowing slightly.

"Sorry, your majesty" he said, and then he picked him up.

Jim grabbed his sash and draped it over a wire that was connected to a pillar on the balcony, one that lead down to the crowd.

Jim jumped off the balcony, hanging onto the sash with the emperor still held in one arm.

"No!" Haou shrieked.

Now, Haou was angry and had lost patience.

He kicked Jesse off him, intending to kill him.

Jaden had her own sash over the line, ready to drop down into the crowd to join her three friends, but she flinched as she saw the beating Jesse was getting, hesitating.

"Come on" Chazz called up to her.

But Jaden couldn't leave Jesse like this. Alone with Haou, he'd be killed.

She grabbed the sword that was lying on the ground - Haou's sword.

And she swung it across the line that connected the balcony to the ground. Haou made a lunge for it, but he was too late. The line fell, meaning that Haou had lost his chance to kill the emperor, who was in the crowd and alive.

"No" Haou whispered.

He looked down at the cheering crowd, and then let out another uncharacteristic shriek of anger. He turned to Jesse, who was getting helped up a little by Jaden. As Haou moved over to them, Jesse put his arm over Jaden to protect her. Jaden got the hint and moved away a little.

Jesse's sword was gone, but he drew a small dagger. Unfortunately, Haou easily knocked it away, and punched Jesse in the face.

Then he grabbed Jesse's collar.

"You!" he growled. "You took away my victory!"

He drew his sword back, ready to slice Jesse up with it - but then a shoe hit his head.

He turned around to face Jaden.

"No!" she said angrily. "I did!"

She pushed her hair back up a little so that it looked the way she had worn it when she was 'Yubel'.

A look of realisation grew on Haou's face.

"The soldier from the mountains" he said, his voice dangerously low.

Haou got up and started to go for Jaden. The girl struggled a little to get her shoe on, and then she took off down the stairs.

Jaden closed the door behind her, pressing her body weight against it.

The Supreme King had given up trying to kill Jesse in favour of chasing and trying to kill Jaden.

She needed a plan, and fast.

Hazeru - Haou's trying to kill her, what will she do?

Hera - R&R please


	26. Chapter 25  Thinking Fast

Hazeru - Let's see how Jaden's doing.

Hera - Getting chased by the Supreme King.

Hazeru - Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 25

Thinking Fast

A fist shot straight through the wood of the door, splintering it in all directions. Jaden gasped a little and then began to run away, hearing the door break down completely as she did. Now she was in real trouble - Haou was after her, and there was no barrier between them.

As Jaden ran, a naked bird - formerly the Supreme King's companion, now unfit to be so - began to run alongside her. Atticus was riding on its back.

"So what's the plan?" the blue and white dragon asked.

"Um …" Jaden stalled.

"You don't have a plan!" Atticus exclaimed in horror.

If Jaden didn't know what to do, then what hope did they have against the Supreme King? Particularly against the now bloodthirsty Supreme King!

"Hey, I'm making this up as I …" Jaden started, and then she stopped and looked out the window, "…go."

She had a sudden idea. There was a tower nearby, filled with fireworks that had been used for the display. A powerful firework could be used as a weapon, if she could only lure the Supreme King to a convenient place. She couldn't get to those explosives, it was true - but she had someone who could.

"Atticus" she said.

"Way ahead of you, sister" the dragon grinned. "Come on, Syrus!"

Jaden grinned at her guardian and companion as Atticus grabbed his 'lucky cricket' and jumped onto a flying decoration - in the shape of as bat, as it turned out - and started steering it towards the tower with fireworks.

Jaden watched them for a minute, and then she saw Haou come around the corner. She started to run.

The girl applied the techniques she had learned during training as she ran - she threw herself around pillars and when he cut them down, she leapt onto another and began to climb it.

Haou cut it almost straight through, and it fell through the wall. With a cry, Jaden was thrown with the pillar out into the night, still hanging onto it. Jaden pulled herself up onto it properly, but she had nowhere to run now.

So she didn't run. She jumped.

She jumped up and caught onto the roof's edge and began to pull herself up. There was no way Haou - in his armour - would be able to follow her this way.

From that position, Jaden saw Atticus reaching the tower.

In the tower, Atticus landed with the decoration still on his back. He decided to put on a strange accent.

"Citizens, I need firepower" he stated.

The two men who were in charge of the fireworks display turned around and gasped at what they saw - what appeared to be a dragon with bat wings (they thought Atticus really had the wings that were the decoration) and a small cricket with its wings spread, trying to look fierce.

"Who are you?" one man asked.

Atticus pulled an evil face.

"Your worst nightmare" he hissed.

The crowds below did not see Atticus, but they did see the two men who had been in the tower falling from it and onto a lower platform below.

Atticus set to work, finding the biggest firework he could find, hoping he was going to be in time for Jaden's plan. He didn't have to ask what the plan was: he knew.

Jaden, meanwhile, had hoisted herself onto the roof. The roof had a beam in the middle and then slanted tiles on each side. She was walking backwards slowly along its beam, trying to find the right angle.

Below her, the crowd was watching, entranced.

"On the roof!" one called.

"Look!" another shouted.

Jaden ignored her surroundings and kept trying to work it all out in her head - but that was all interrupted as she heard the roof behind her being torn apart.

The Supreme King burst out through the roof - she didn't even want to know how he'd managed it - and pointed his sword at her.

She gasped a little and began backing away slowly.

Haou's breathing was heavier than usual, indicating that he was both angry and exhausted - but that wasn't going to stop him from killing her.

Jaden had no weapon with her, all she had was her fan. She drew out her fan and opened it, holding the semicircle of fabric and wood in one hand as she watched Haou approaching her slowly.

Haou looked at her fan in amusement - not that it showed on his expressionless face.

"It looks like you're out of ideas" Haou said, and he thrust the sword towards her.

Jaden would have grinned if she didn't have to think fast.

Jaden moved her fan so that his sword stabbed straight through it. Then she closed the fan, and twirled it around, effectively pulling the sword out of Haou's grip. She grabbed the sword's handle, the fan slipping off and falling away.

Jaden pointed the sword at Haou.

"Not quite" she said, and she glanced behind him. "Ready, Atticus?"

Haou glanced behind him to see a small dragon lifting off decorative bat wings to reveal an enormous rocket-shaped firework, strapped to his body.

"I am _ready_, baby!" he called. He held up a match and blew a small flame on to it, and then passed it behind him to a cricket. "Lightning!" he grinned.

Haou growled and went to hit Jaden, put the girl pinned the sword to the ground and kicked him in the face, knocking him off balance. While he wasn't balanced, she slid down and tripped him right up - knocking him onto his back.

She then pulled the sword up and stabbed it down through his armour and into the roof, giving it a firm hold - keeping Haou in place. He could not move.

Syrus had got the match, meanwhile, from Atticus. He lit the firework's fuse, and the fuse was short. The rocket took off at a fast speed, Atticus and Syrus only just managing to get it off them.

Haou gasped and tried to move out of its path, but the sword was preventing him from moving.

Jaden slid down the roof a little so she was out of the rocket's path.

The rocket slammed forward, straight into Haou! It lifted him away from the sword and off the roof entirely, and taking him with it on its path.

Jaden jumped up and began running across the beam of the roof, pausing only to grab Atticus.

"Get off the roof, get off the roof, get off the roof" she said hurriedly to herself.

The rocket, still crying Haou, propelled him straight into the tower that was full of more fireworks, causing a massive explosion of multicoloured lights - a bright display that looked attractive while it killed the Supreme King in the explosions.

Jaden grabbed onto a lamp that was connected to a wire, jumping off the roof - having to let go of Atticus in the process.

Jaden soared down the wire, letting go once she got over the stairs, and she fell down onto them - straight onto Jesse Andersen, who was running down.

The two of them tumbled over and ending up lying there, looking at each other in awe and amazement.

The Supreme King's sword - having been blown off the roof - landed next to them.

That wasn't the only thing that landed down next to them.

A blue and white dragon, laughing hysterically, bounced along beside them.

"Ahahahahahaha!" he laughed in hysteria, pointing up at the tower where Haou had just been killed.

He still had a huge grin on his face when an aqua coloured cricket flew towards him, and Atticus caught Syrus in one hand. Syrus looked dazed and disoriented. One of the cricket's antennae had a small flame on it.

Atticus grinned at the cricket, still alive after all that.

"You, are a lucky bug" he smirked, licking his thumb and forefinger and pressing them to the flame, putting it out. Syrus smiled in relief.

And all around them people cheered and fireworks went off in the new, true celebration of the defeat of the Supreme King.

Hazeru - Haou is dead for real this time!

Hera - Well, someone had to play the bad guy.

Hazeru - I know. -cries- Anyway, there's still more of this story.

Hera - R&R please


	27. Chapter 26  Jaden Brings Honour

Hazeru - To those amazing people still reading this story, it's nearly over!

Hera - Only another two or three chapters to go!

Hazeru - Enjoy this one!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 26

Jaden Brings Honour

"That was a deliberate attempt on my life!" Crowler's shrill voice rang out as he stomped down the stairs, a bald patch on the top of his head surrounded by singed blonde hair. "Where is she? Now she's done it! What a mess!"

Jaden was gently pushed aside by Jim, Chazz and Aster. The three boys moved in front of her, glaring at Crowler. Jesse stood in front of them, looking daggers at the angry, grubby blonde in front of him.

Crowler glared back at them.

"Stand aside! That creature's not worth protecting!" he declared.

"She's a hero!" Jesse argued.

"She's a woman" Crowler insisted. "She'll never be worth anything."

Jesse had had enough. He grabbed the front of Crowler's shirt.

"Listen, you pompous …"

"That is enough!" a voice interrupted.

They all turned to face the emperor. Shepherd was walking slowly down the stairs, and he was in no mood to argue. He had just gone inside the palace to survey the damage, and the palace was in shambles in many places.

He reached the soldiers and his assistant.

"Your Majesty, I can explain" Jesse started, but Shepherd waved him off.

With a slight bow, Jesse, Jim, Aster and Chazz all moved back. Crowler had already taken his place behind and to the right of the emperor, smiling smugly at the soldiers - not that Jim, Aster and Chazz looked like soldiers. They were still dressed up as women with make-up and dresses.

Jaden knew what was to happen now. She moved forward and bowed low to the emperor, staying in her slightly bent position, not daring to even look up at his face.

Shepherd looked with interest at her. The girl was young and looked like the most innocent creature, and yet that was not the case. Her face was a little hidden from him, but he could still see the expression of fear and worry on her features.

"I've heard a great deal about you, Jaden Yuki" he said. "You stole your father's armour. Ran away from him. Impersonated a soldier!" Here his face grew angry, and Jaden's expression became more and more worried as he continued. "Deceived your commanding officer. Dishonoured the Chinese army. Destroyed my palace! _And _…"

Jaden cringed, waiting for him to deliver the final verbal blow.

But it didn't come, and she looked up in shock as Shepherd finished his sentence.

"…You have saved us all" Shepherd finished.

Jaden's expression became shocked, and that shock grew as the emperor bowed to her. The emperor was the emperor, and he bowed to nobody. And yet here he was, bowing to Jaden.

Crowler was smiling smugly, but he did a double take and stared in astonishment at Shepherd, whose back was slightly bent forward in a bow to the brunette girl in front of him.

Crowler stuttered a few words before collapsing onto his knees and bowing to Jaden himself, half silently grovelling.

Jaden was straightened up now, staring in wonderment at them. And she turned around to see that Jesse, Jim, Chazz and Aster were also on their knees, bowing low to her.

Jaden placed one hand on her heart to feel it beating furiously inside her chest. She wasn't in trouble. Instead, the emperor had bowed to her - it was an unknown honour that took over what any other person in China had felt.

Jaden turned around fully as the crowds of people watching all got on their knees and bowed to her. She stared at them in shock. The people of her country, the friends she had made in the army, the captain of said army that she cared about so much, the emperor - they were all bowing to her.

Like she was a hero.

In the crowd, Sapphire, her horse, bowed to her himself. On his back, Atticus was feeling tears build up in his eyes.

"My little baby is all grown up and … saving China" he said, turning to Syrus. "You have a tissue?"

Back up on the stairs, Jaden pushed a lock of her short hair behind her hair and faced Shepherd, who had by now straightened up and was looking at her with a smile. The soldiers and Crowler got to their feet, though Jaden didn't look any of them in the eye - her attention was on the emperor, waiting to see what he'd say. She made sure to bow slightly before looking up at him again.

Shepherd didn't take his eyes off the girl as he spoke.

"Crowler" he said.

"Your Excellency" the blonde said, taking his place proudly beside the emperor.

"See to it that this woman is made a member of my counsel."

"Ah, be made a member of your … _what_?" Crowler exclaimed. "But … eh … there are no counsel positions open, Your Majesty" he said nastily.

Shepherd looked back at Jaden.

"Very well." He pointed to Crowler with his thumb. "You can have his job."

"What? My …" Crowler stuttered, before passing out.

Jaden grinned and turned to the emperor, bowing again before speaking.

"With all due respect, Your Excellency, I think I've been away from home long enough" she said, smiling at the emperor.

"Then, take this" Shepherd said, as he lifted his trademark necklace off and put it over Jaden's head so that it hung on her neck. It was the crest of the emperor. "So your family will know what you have done for me."

Jaden felt a smile coming to her face.

"And this" Shepherd continued, placing the sword of the Supreme King Haou into the girl's hands. "So the world will know what you have done for China."

Jaden examined the sword briefly, smiling fit to bust. Then she looked up at the emperor with a huge grin and flung her arms around his shoulders, giving him a hug.

Shepherd's face showed mild surprise but soon broke into a smile.

Watching, Chazz muttered "Is she allowed to do that?"

Jesse, Jim and Aster all shrugged unknowingly.

Jaden let go of the emperor, bowed and then ran over to her friends. She caught Aster and Chazz in a hug, and Jim came over and lifted all three of them up in a tighter hug.

Chazz sobbed a little and Aster pulled out a tissue from the folds of his dress and handed it to his friend. Jim placed one hand on Aster's shoulder, and the three men - still dressed as women - watched as Jaden walked up to Jesse.

The girl stopped in front of him and smiled at him. Jesse was looking at her strangely, his face a mix of admiration and confusion and another emotion that Jaden couldn't name. Jesse tried to say something to her, but he was at a loss as to what he should be saying. There were so many words he wanted to say to her, and all of them were things he couldn't say in front of so many others.

"Um … you … you fight good" he said, patting her shoulder.

Jaden's face showed disappointment and sadness.

"Oh. Thank you" she said.

Jaden walked past Jesse, her heart feeling heavy. He didn't even know how much she admired him. And he obviously didn't see her as anything but another soldier, and as the hero of China that she now was. But he didn't see her that way that she saw him.

Jaden climbed onto her horse's back, deciding to leave her feelings for later.

"Sapphire, let's go home" she said.

With a grin to her friends, Jaden turned the horse around and they began running down the stairs, to the cheering of all the people around them, as they were heading for home.

Watching her go were her friends. Jesse stood alone, staring longingly after the girl that had saved China. The girl that had saved his life, and in return had stolen his heart. He barely noticed as Shepherd came to stand next to him.

"A flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all" Shepherd stated.

Jesse looked at him in confusion.

"Sir?"

Shepherd sighed.

"You don't meet a girl like that every day" he said plainly.

With a hard look at the bluenette, silently telling him what to do, Shepherd turned and walked back into his ruined palace, mentally calculating the amount of money it would take to fix such damage.

And Jesse looked out over the crowds which had parted to let Jaden through.

The bluenette sighed deeply and a determined look came to his features.

He knew what he had to do.

Hazeru - No! Jesse, you let her go!

Hera - But Jaden's a hero!

Hazeru - What else is new? xD

Hera - R&R please


	28. Chapter 27  Returns, Rewards And Visits

Hazeru - Here's the last actual chapter.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 27

Returns, Rewards And Visits

The blossoms fell all around him. One particular flower, the one he had pointed out to his daughter so long ago, fell and landed on his lap.

Hasselberry looked at the perfect, pink petals in his lap. He picked it up and stared at the flower, memories of the talk he had had with Jaden, his lost daughter, what seemed like a lifetime ago. He had heard nothing of his daughter, and for all he knew, she was never coming home.

He missed her greatly. The whole family did.

Meanwhile, Jaden was watching her father from a short distance, out of his line of vision. She wasn't afraid any more. She wasn't coming home in shame, she was coming home a hero. In her hands, she held Haou's sword - a mark of her victory, and on her neck was the crest of the emperor still.

Taking a deep breath, she walked forward until she stood in front of her father in the family garden.

Hasselberry looked up in shock. It was Jaden. She was alive.

His daughter had come home.

"Jaden" he breathed, beginning to stand up, but sitting back down again when Jaden got on her knees to bow respectfully to him. The flower fell from his lap as he looked at Jaden.

"Father" the girl said. "I brought you the sword of the Supreme King."

She presented the sword to him, and Hasselberry held in gingerly in his hands. Did this mean …

"And the crest of the emperor" Jaden continued, lifting it off her neck and lying it in his hands. He looked at her and she hastily went on. "They're gifts. To honour the Yuki family."

Hasselberry looked at his kneeling daughter, and threw the crest and the sword to the ground. He fell to his knees in front of her and threw his arms around her tightly, holding her to him.

"The greatest gift in honour is having you for a daughter" he said, pulling back slightly so he could wipe a tear from Jaden's cheek. He then held her close again. "I've missed you so."

Jaden wrapped her arms around her father tightly.

"I've missed you too, Father" she said gently.

The two were very vaguely aware of the two female figures coming to stand in an archway, watching them. Jaden's mother, Alexis, and grandmother, Blair.

Alexis sighed in content as she watched her husband make peace with their daughter.

Blair, however, just sighed in annoyance.

"Great, she brings home a sword" Blair said sarcastically, and turned to Alexis seriously. "If you ask me she should have brought home a man …"

"Excuse me" a voice interrupted.

The two women turned to see a man standing there, holding a helmet in his hands. The helmet was Jaden's - or Jaden's father's technically, but she had worn it - though neither Alexis nor Blair recognised it. The man had blue hair and pale green eyes, and a face that any male would kill for.

"Does Jaden Yuki live here?" he asked.

Too astounded for words, the two women both pointed over to where Jaden and Hasselberry were now standing talking.

Jesse walked past them.

"Thank you" he said.

Alexis watched him go. Jaden really had brought a man home!

Old Blair was even more impressed.

"Woo! Sign me up for the next war" she grinned.

Alexis sighed at her mother.

Meanwhile, Jesse had reached the two standing under the falling blossoms.

Hasselberry turned to face him and Jesse bowed slightly.

"Honourable Hasselberry, I … Jaden!" he started, but was taken off guard when Jaden appeared from behind her father.

Jaden's eyes widened in surprise. Jesse was at her home!

_Does this mean that he … _Jaden thought hopefully.

"You forgot your helmet" Jesse said hurriedly, holding it out to her. "Well, actually it's your helmet, isn't it" he corrected himself, holding it to Hasselberry. "I mean …"

Jaden smiled softly. There was no army captain that would travel all this way to just return a helmet unless he had another motive.

She could only feel happy, though the word was insignificant compared to her feelings.

Hasselberry nodded to his daughter, sensing what she might want.

Jaden moved forward, took the helmet from Jesse and looked up into his green eyes.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" she asked.

Jesse smiled, but before he could answer, he heard …

"Would you like to stay forever?" Blair shouted.

Jesse grinned at that and Jaden shook her head playfully.

_Let's take this one step at a time, Grandma _Jaden thought happily.

Jesse turned back to her.

"Dinner," he said, "would be great."

From the window of the family temple, the great ancestor, Zane, was watching. He couldn't be prouder of the girl. She had committed treason and dishonoured the family at first - and then she makes herself the hero of China. Jaden had brought more honour to the family than anyone could ever have hoped for.

Zane's thoughts were interrupted when a small, blue and white dragon jumped up next to him and nudged him playfully.

"Come on" Atticus said. "Who did a good job? Come on, tell me I did a good job."

Zane glared at the dragon and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, all right" he said reluctantly, staring out the window in annoyance. "You can be a guardian again."

Atticus grinned and let out a scream of triumph, much to Zane's irritation.

Inside the temple, Syrus the cricket - still with Atticus - banged the gong, and all the ancestors came out to play.

Atticus swung himself onto his rightful guardian's platform.

"Take it, Syrus" he grinned.

Syrus began using the gong and beaters and vases, and basically whatever was around, to play music. All the ancestors began to join in, dancing and laughing in celebration - well, all except Zane, who didn't move from the window.

"You know she gets it from my side of the family" Axel grinned.

Bastion's decapitated head floated around grinning, the ancestors using walking sticks and the like the keep it up like a balloon.

"Call out for egg rolls" Atticus shouted, swinging around on a chain.

He accidentally let go of it and went flying.

"Guardians" an unhappy Zane muttered in annoyance, folding his arms and staring out the window.

Atticus flew straight out the entrance and landed on the stairs that led up to the temple.

"Ouch" he muttered, sitting up on the stairs.

Jaden then sat down next to him.

"Thanks, Atticus" she said, bending to kiss him on the head gently. He grinned up at her.

Suddenly, her 'little brother' - who had been called Kuriboh - came charging past with the bag of chicken feed on his back, and a whole load of chickens followed him, all running straight into the temple.

"Atticus" an angry voice - Zane's - called from inside.

Jaden looked up in surprise and Atticus cringed.

Some things never changed.

Hazeru - And, well, that's the end of the film, so that's the end of the story.

Hera - However ...

Hazeru - I think I will write an epilogue to show some actual Spiritshipping. You guys can let me know if you want the epilogue posted.

Hera - R&R please


	29. Epilogue

Hazeru - Here's the epilogue. You wanted it, so here you go! :D

Hera - Obviously this isn't in the movie, so we improvised.

Hazeru - This is my own epilogue. It would have been nice to see it happen in the movie, right at the end.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Epilogue

Every Hero Needs A Lovelife

"Good day, Miss Yuki" a random woman called.

"Nice to see you, Jaden" the baker shouted.

"Save anyone else yet, Jaden?" a butcher yelled.

Jaden laughed politely at the calls of attention from all directions and waved to the crowd. She was a celebrity all over the country, most of all within her own hometown - she was a hero to them more than anyone.

Jaden couldn't walk in town any more without having people smile at her, and some bowed to her without words - sometimes it was people she didn't even know, and that made her chuckle every time.

Since her return, Jaden was perceived as a hero - as were her three great friends who were working reasonably close to her town now: Jim, Aster and Chazz. All three were also heroes - thought not _the _hero, that was Jaden - and had nearly everything they'd ever wanted.

Well, except for a girl worth fighting for. But Jaden had a feeling that they'd soon each find their own special someone. After all, she had.

Jaden's arm was, presently, linked through that of the man she was seeing. The one who had her adoration, loyalty, and most importantly, her heart.

Jesse Andersen.

He was another hero of China - though again, not so much so as Jaden.

Jesse visited her every day, more or less, even though he was still working in the army. Sometimes he and Jaden trained together.

Yes, even though she wasn't a soldier any longer, Jaden was still keeping in good shape and learning new fighting techniques. She knew that the day would come - one day, some time in the future - when she would be needed by somebody, and that she had to be ready for that day.

Jesse laughed and grinned at the crowds, but then he grabbed Jaden's hand and pulled the laughing brunette away from the throng of people and into a quiet, private garden - not one of theirs, it was some stranger's home, but who would deny Jaden the right to be there? Jaden was a lovely girl - in more ways than one, for she was also gifted in her looks - and Jesse was a true gentleman. Nobody but Jaden had seen his cheeky side, and she hoped that she could keep that part of him all to herself.

Jaden looked at the bluenette, puzzled. Jesse liked that the crowds adored her, what was the problem?

"Is everything okay, Jesse?" she asked.

Jesse smiled gently at the look of trust and love on Jaden's face. He had no doubt in his mind that she loved him. As much as he loved her.

"Nah, everything's fine. I just don't want them to kill you with kindness" he grinned.

Jaden rolled her eyes. Like she couldn't protect herself!

Jesse grinned and sat down on the glossy, green grass, patting the space beside him and watching as Jaden sat down next to him, carefully placing her dress around her - she wore the usual female clothing, but it was slightly adapted for ease of movement, the girl just didn't seem to be able to sit still.

"It's nice here. We should do my garden back home up a bit like this" Jaden smiled, her deep brown eyes following the stream that ran through the garden.

Jesse couldn't help himself reaching over to stroke the soft hair, making Jaden smile and lean back into the touch. Her hair was slightly longer now, but she had restyled it so that it still looked a little like a boys' style. She was individual and unique, and she was proud to be so - and she was aware that this was the her that Jesse had fallen in love with.

He had fallen in love with the true her, and for that she loved him more than anything.

Jaden smiled and leaned over so that she could rest her head in the crook of Jesse's neck, closing her eyes in content as she felt his arms come around her and hold her close.

They never touched like this out in public, these moments were private and special. Jesse wouldn't even hold her like this around her family - out of respect for them, she supposed.

At least he got on well enough with Hasselberry and Alexis, her parents. And her grandmother, old Blair, adored Jesse - sometimes Jaden felt weird that her own grandmother thought her love was pretty cute.

And Jesse seemed to like them all well enough.

Jaden sighed happily. She had brought great honour to her family, made some great friends, made her true self known, and found the one thing she had believed she wasn't good enough for - love.

She knew now that she could make the perfect bride, because Jesse didn't expect - or want - her to be simply homely and neat and tame. And she had brought great honour and made her parents so proud, so she was a good daughter, too.

Yes, life was good.

Who would have guessed that committing treason could make her a hero? She knew that her name was being carried around the world by now, but she didn't really care. Fame wasn't what she wanted, it was respect and acceptance by those she loved.

And she had that.

Jaden leaned up to press a kiss against Jesse's cheek, and he turned his head to smile at her. Those green eyes, she loved them so much, they were his best feature.

Back at that training camp, she had longed to stroke the soft skin of his cheek. Now, she did just that, with ease and confidence.

Jesse smiled at her and leaned forward.

Jaden closed her eyes and waited for the distance between their lips to be closed, when she could settle into this one piece of her happy ending.

Hazeru - That's all, folks! Thanks for reading the Spiritshipping version of Mulan!

Hera - We hope you liked it. R&R please!


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